A 10-year project to remediate the former New Jersey Zinc Co. west plant is right on schedule.

Developer George Petrole, of Northface Development, gave an update to the Palmerton Chamber of Commerce recently on the eventual Northface Business Park located along Route 248 in Palmerton.Petrole said the group has ramped up activity at the eventual Northface Industrial Park within the past 18 months.“This is not a small job,” he said. “In 2010, we said it would take 10 years; it’s going to take us 10 years.”However, Petrole said, “We are moving forward much faster than we have.”To date, he said the group has spent over $3.5 million.Future workOver the course of the next five years, Petrole said Northface Development plans to build about 80 percent of the 140-acre site.He said 80 percent of the site is developable, with the other 20 percent to remain green space.Petrole said he plans to submit shell building plans to municipal planners for approval as early as next year.The plan is to open up access to Route 248, Petrole said, who noted that the state Department of Transportation has given the group two access points.One of those is on the eastern end of the property before Mauch Chunk Road and the Route 248 ramps on Delaware Avenue.“That has proved to be overtly expensive, and logistically unworkable, in the short term,” he said. “We will retain the permit to proceed with this entrance at a later date.”However, Petrole said the group has discussed with PennDOT opening up the western access, which is at a point on 248 approximately one mile from the Palmerton on-ramp.The plan is to open up the ramps at the top of the slide banks, said Petrole, who noted that the group has obtained a construction access permitTo date, the group has entertained professional developers.“We believe this site will produce 500 jobs,” he said. “We’d like to thank all of the local vendors for being so gracious with us, and providing all the supplies.”ProcessThe company was granted a zoning permit in July 2014 for a temporary structure on the property.In April 2014, plans were on display for proposed access to the property along Route 248 and Mauch Chunk Road in Palmerton.At that time, five access options were proposed for the park: The existing Mauch Chunk Corridor, required improvements to Mauch Chunk Road, a signalized intersection with Route 248, a new interchange with Route 248 and two separate access points.Of those, the state Department of Transportation’s preferred alternative was the two separate access points, according to David Lear, senior project manager, wetland delineation specialist for Lehigh Engineering Associates.That alternative was chosen as the best access to the Northface Industrial site, with the least impact on traffic in Palmerton and Bowmanstown.At present, the only access is a private driveway that intersects with Mauch Chunk Road, a two-lane roadway, owned and maintained by the borough of Palmerton, which cannot safely handle the additional traffic, especially truck traffic, from an industrial site such as proposed.The project proposes to provide new points for direct access from Route 248 and Delaware Avenue to the property, eliminating traffic from the site to Mauch Chunk Road, the only access now to the site.Without proper access to Route 248, it would be difficult for the Northface project to proceed to realization.Petrole previously said that the company turned down an offer less than a year after it purchased the site from a company that wanted to do recycling.He said at that time the property could attract Fortune 500 companies to Carbon County. Some offices, warehouses or industrial buildings could also be included in the industrial development area.The property had been in abandonment since Aug. 19, 2002, when the seller filed a Voluntary Petition for Relief under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code.Petrole said remediation of the plant continues, and added they are placing a cap on the entire site.“We’re working from west to east,” Petrole said.He added that it’s all being currently done by truck versus train because it would cost more to do by train, and they can position the truck where they want it on the site.The fill that is used on the site consists of clean and regulated fill, said Petrole, who added that it comes from the tri-state area.There are hundreds of sites from where they get the material, Petrole said, adding that the majority of the fill comes from the boroughs of New York City.He said Northface is following an erosion and sedimentation control plan.