Lockheed Martin Transforms Cleanup Site into Public Park
On June 30, 2010 more than 200 people attended two public events to celebrate Lockheed Martin’s completion of an environmental cleanup and restoration project in Akron, Ohio.
Lockheed Martin assumed responsibility for the environmental cleanup of Haley’s Ditch in Akron after solid particles containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) had been carried in rainwater from its nearby Airdock facility.After cleaning up the property, Lockheed Martin restored the ditch to a natural stream, created 1.2 acres of wetlands and developed a walking trail for community use.
“It has been nice to see the Corporation respond and make these improvements for the community,” said John Nordine, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency project manager for the cleanup portion of the project. “I am sure the citizens will enjoy this trail.”
The events on June 30 included a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the park, now called Haley’s Run, and an open house that provided community members with an opportunity to walk the trail, plant flowers along the trail and see displays about the restoration process.
As part of the restoration, Lockheed Martin and its partners restored the stream to its natural habitat, planted more than 1,000 trees and shrubs, and created the.6-mile trail. The restoration enhances the health of the Cuyahoga River Watershed, creates a natural habitat for wildlife, reduces the risk of flooding and erosion, and provides a beautiful space for the community.
Lockheed Martin and its partners collaborated with state and federal environmental agencies as well as land and water conservation organizations on the project. The Corporation is working with the City of Akron, the Western Reserve Land Conservancy and Metroparks to finalize future ownership and management of the trail property.
“I’ve been working in the remediation business for 30 years now, and I can tell you that for a variety of reasons, it’s not very often that you can clean up a property and restore it to a park,” said David Gunnarson, Lockheed Martin project manager. “But this project worked out that way, and it was the right thing to do.”
Dave Gunnarson, project lead for Lockheed Martin explains the Haley's Run remediation and restoration work.
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