Source: http://www.lexology.com, April 5, 2013
By: David Erickson and Mark Anstoetter, Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has entered a consent decree calling for two companies to conduct a cleanup and reimburse EPA’s cleanuprelated costs at the Puchack Well Field Superfund site in Pennsauken, New Jersey. United States v. SL Indus., Inc., No: 1:13-cv-01690, (D.N.J. 3/19/13). The site allegedly contains chromium-contaminated groundwater. The two companies have agreed to pay more than $10.7 million in past EPA response costs, reimburse EPA’s future response costs and design and implement the Operable Unit 2 (OU2) remedy to clean up source areas that contribute to the chromium in groundwater. EPA completed the remedial investigation and feasibility study for OU2 in June 2011. It targets a former chromium plating operation as well as “any other areas that have levels of hexavalent chromium in soils that are a continued threat to further groundwater contamination.” The agreement is subject to public comment and court approval; comments must be submitted within 30 days of the March 25, 2013, Federal Register publication date.