Gavco Materials Inc. Water Discharge Permit Withdrawn Due To Discharge of Hexavalent Chromium

In February 2024, Three Rivers Waterkeeper was notified by the PA DEP that Gavco Materials Inc. had withdrawn its wastewater permit. This comes after Three Rivers Waterkeeper and community members advocated for the PA DEP to deny this permit due to exceedances of hexavalent chromium, a known carcinogen, into a tributary that eventually flows into the Monongahela River.

The PA DEP has advised that should Gavco Materials Inc. resume operations, they will need to eliminate process wastewater discharges containing hexavalent chromium.

In May 2024, a notice of a NPDES (wastewater discharge allowances) permit was posted in the PA Bulletin with a special condition to allow for a schedule of compliance for the discharge of hexavalent chromium, a known carcinogen, that exceeds standards set to protect public health. Three Rivers Waterkeeper immediately requested to review the permit prior to the comment due date of June 5th. The PA DEP (PA Dept. of Environmental Protection) did not grant our ability to review the permit prior to the comment period ending. We then submitted preliminary comments without reviewing the full permit and requested a public hearing and extension of the public comment period. With the collective power of our community voices, we were able to prevent the issuance of this permit to discharge Hexavalent Chromium into our waterways!