Source: http://eb.gmnews.com, June 2014
By: Thomas Castles
Ten companies have agreed to remediate contaminated groundwater at the Evor Phillips Leasing Co. Superfund site in Old Bridge, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The agreement will allow the third phase of cleanup to move forward at the site near the intersection of Bordentown Avenue and Cheesequake Road. This phase of cleanup is expected to cost $1.4 million and involve the long-term chemical oxidation treatment of contaminated groundwater.
“As the law requires, the polluters — not taxpayers — are paying for the cleanup that will protect the health of people who live and work in this community,” said Judith A. Enck, EPA regional administrator.
The soil and groundwater beneath the 6-acre site are polluted with volatile organic compounds (VOC) from previous industrial activity, said EPA spokesman Elias Rodriguez. The compounds are the byproducts of industrial and liquid waste treatment and the incineration of photographic film and circuit boards to recover precious metals.
“VOCs are a very large group of compounds, and many are known or suspected to cause cancer,” he said. “But there are VOCs in common household products, so they’re not necessarily hazardous. … The level and the length of exposure to VOCs takes them from being something that’s ubiquitous to something that’s a risk to your health.”
The state Department of Environmental Protection closed down waste treatment op- erations in 1975 after operators failed to comply with state environmental requirements. All other operations by Evor Phillips ceased in 1986.
The site has been listed on the EPA’s Superfund list of the nation’s most hazardous waste sites since 1983; however, the first phase of cleanup did not begin until 1997, when contaminated drums full of chemicals were dug up from beneath the ground and disposed of off site.
The slow pace of remediation efforts, which were formerly under the oversight of the DEP, drew the attention of the EPA Office of the Inspector General in 2008.
According to a report issued by the office in June 2008, “Neither EPA nor the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection took actions needed to ensure progress at seven New Jersey-led Superfund site cleanups. These sites were listed on the NPL [National Priorities List] over 20 years ago, but still have not had a final cleanup remedy constructed.”
EPA took over site cleanup operations from the DEP in 2008, Rodriguez said, and began the second phase of cleanup, which involved removal of contaminated soils.
The third phase, which involves chemical oxidation of groundwater and soil, will be conducted under the current agreement.
Chemical oxidation uses chemicals to break down pollutants into water and carbon dioxide. Each injection of chemical oxidants is followed by an evaluation of the effectiveness of the treatment.
The groundwater will be monitored for several years after cleanup goals have been met to demonstrate that the groundwater is no longer a source of contamination, according to the EPA, which will oversee the site work.
“When you have a large group of [responsible parties] like this, they will pool their resources and hire a main contractor to do the work, who usually hires subcontractors,” Rodriguez said.
The 10 responsible parties are Cabot Corp., Carpenter Technology Corp., CWM Chemical Services LLC, Ford Motor Co., International Flavors and Fragrances Inc., Johnson Matthey, Rutgers Organics Corp., Spectraserv Inc., Spiral Metal Co. LLC and Waste Management of New Jersey Inc.
Responsible parties were identified using a site history, Rodriguez said.
“Sometimes the responsible parties may have bought the company that previously owned the site, sometimes they are affiliated with the previous owner of the site. There are many different types of linkage,” he said.
Although the Evor Phillips site has been closed for nearly 30 years, its inclusion on the Superfund list has not precluded other companies from continuing to operate on the property.
“You have businesses around there now. That happens at many of our sites because you have land that is in demand, so other companies relocate there,” Rodriguez said. “We work in coordination with the businesses that are operating there to try to minimize any disruptions.”
According to an EPA record of decision dated May 6, the 6-acre site is unoccupied. Most of the buildings and facilities associated with previous site operations have been demolished. Two buildings currently on the site support a groundwater extraction and treatment system.
The CPS/Madison Industries Superfund site — a 35-acre tract of land where handling of hazardous substances also led to soil and groundwater contamination — is located approximately 800 feet southwest of the site.
Sayreville’s municipal well field is located approximately one quarter-mile to the west, and the Perth Amboy municipal well field is located approximately 1 mile south.
The site’s proximity to two major water sources means an expeditious cleanup is of the utmost importance, according to Old Bridge Mayor Owen Henry.
“I don’t know whatever possessed people at the time to have those chemical plants near such a crucial aquifer … but we’re certainly pleased that they’re taking the steps now to finally have it cleaned up, safe and contained,” he said.
According to Rodriguez, the chemical oxidation process — the third and final phase of cleanup — is expected to take approximately two years.
“Hopefully, this is another Superfund site out of Old Bridge,” Henry said. “Now we need to start moving on and dealing with the other ones.”