United States
                   Environmental Protection
                   Agency
                               Office of the
                               Administrator
                               [Mail Code 1802]
EPA100-F-99-020
September 2002
(http://www.epa.gov)
                     Project XL:
                     Exxon  Fairmont  Coke Works
WHAT IS
PROJECT XL?
SUMMARY OF
EXXON
FAIRMONT COKE
WORKS SITE
CLEAN-UP
SUPERIOR
ENVIRONMENTAL
PERFORMANCE
Project XL, which stands for "excellence and Leadership," is a national initiative
that tests innovative ways of achieving better and more cost-effective public
health and environmental protection. The experience and lessons learned from
Project XL will assist EPA in redesigning its current regulatory and policy-
setting approaches through a collaborative process.  Project XL encourages
testing of cleaner, cheaper, and smarter ways to attain environmental results
superior to those achieved under current regulations and policies. It also
requires substantial  involvement by stakeholders, i.e. the people and
organizations affected by EPA's decisions.  EPA hopes that these projects will
provide opportunities for everyone to think "outside the box"  of our current
system and to find solutions to obstacles that limit environmental performance.

This project will test an alternative strategy for cleaning-up the Sharon Steel
Fairmont Coke Works Superfund Site, located in Fairmont, WV.  The site was
placed on the EPA's National Priorities List (NPL) on December 23, 1996.
Exxon is the only Potentially Responsible Party (PRP) working with EPA and
the West Virginia Division of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) under an
Administrative Order on Consent to address environmental  concerns at this
site.

To clean up the site, Exxon proposes that changes to the traditional Superfund
process be made. These changes would affect: (a) site characterization and
clean-up, (b) risk assessment procedures, (c) the management of onsite
landfills, (d)  mitigation  requirements for EPA-created wetlands onsite, (e) the
stakeholder and community involvement process, (f) reduction of paperwork
requirements, and (g) the quality assurance process. In addition, as a new
approach, Exxon will work with stakeholders and community groups to seek
interested developers for commercial or industrial re-development of the site.

In this project, Exxon will implement changes to the Superfund process that will
yield significant benefits to the environment, the surrounding community, and
Exxon. Key benefits include:

       Shorter clean-up times that more quickly eliminate the potential risk to
       human health.

      A commitment from Exxon to work with stakeholders and community
       groups to seek interested developers for commercial/industrial
       redevelopment of the site.

      A commitment from Exxon to demolish and dispose  of all on-site
       buildings and structures.
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                          Reduced administrative burden through the use of streamlined risk
                          assessment and site characterization processes and electronic
                          document/data submittals.
FLEXIBILITY
COMMUNITY
INVOLVEMENT
APPROACHES TO
BE TESTED
The Final Project Agreement (FPA) for this site provides Exxon with flexibility
regarding 1) the use of streamlined removal processes in order to expedite
clean up actions at the site, 2) mitigation processes for wetlands created by
EPA during previous removal actions, 3) data validation reporting requirements,
and 4) risk assessment criteria and analyses.

As part of its FPA commitments, Exxon will continue to work actively to ensure
and maintain involvement of key stakeholders and the general  public during the
clean-up of the site. Exxon will directly fund the WVDEP involvement in the
project and will work with the Fairmont Community Liaison Panel (FCLP) and
EPA in every stage of the clean-up process.

Can coupling expedited Superfund clean-up procedures with land reuse
commitments result in benefits to the community, the environment and
industry ?
CONTACTS
FOR
ELECTRONIC
INFORMATION
                    EPA HQ:
                    Regional:
                    WVDEP:
                   Ted Cochin         202-566-2181
                   Hilary M. Thor@ttfri814-3323
                   Tom Bass          304-558-2745
More information about Project XL is available on the Internet at
http://www.epa.gov/ProjectXL or via Project XL's Information Line at 202-260-
5754.
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