CPS Madison Industries Superfund Site

Last updated

The CPS Madison Industries Superfund Site is located in Old Bridge, New Jersey. Since 1967, site operators had improperly handed high-risk substances by expelling them into public sewer systems throughout the township. Established in 1962, CPS Madison Industries, located in Middlesex County, New Jersey, has remained a large competitor in the copper and zinc industry producing compounds primarily for food additives, fertilizers, and pharmaceuticals. [1] CPS Madison Industries was declared to be a superfund site as of September 8, 1983, due to its improper handlings of Volatile Organic Compounds, and has since been undergoing groundwater pump and treatment systems since 1991.

Contents

Origins

Originally Madison Township, Old Bridge Township was assimilated in 1975 to refrain from confusion with the borough of Madison, located in Morris County, New Jersey. Based on the 2010 United States census, there were 65,357 people living in Old Bridge Township and it is 40.783 square miles in total size. The Township of Old Bridge is home to the 14th worst superfund site in the United States of America, due to its contamination of Volatile Organic Chemicals. [2]

Company history

CPS Madison Industries was established in 1962 and declared to be a superfund site on September 8, 1983. Ciba Specialty Chemicals acquired the company in 1998 and kept the company until 2001. Ciba Inc. was then purchased by BASF Corporation, the largest chemical company in the world, hence, the company was now under the control of BASF. In 2010, BASF Corporation was officially held accountable for the superfund site. In 2015, Madison Industries acquired the site and currently, Old Bridge Chemicals Inc. is in charge of the location. [1] In 1983, the case of the City of Perth Amboy v. Madison Industries was initiated and was not concluded until 2015, battling against two polluters for contamination of a city water supply in violation of the New Jersey Spill Compensation and Control and Water Pollution Control Acts. [3]

Superfund design

The main issues with the superfund site arose when the BASF corporation was in control of the area in 2010. Though the CPS Madison Industries property was declared to be a superfund site in 1983, evident attempts at taking action had only began to appear as of 2010. [1]

State Intervention

Tracing back from today, site operators since 1967 improperly handled hazardous substances by expelling them into the public sewer system. Not until 2010 was the BASF Corporation held accountable for the cleanup process of the CPS Madison site. Groundwater pump and treat systems were put into effect and ran by the company who owned the location at the time, eventually making a milestone when falling under the control of BASF. The groundwater pump and treat systems are still in usage currently along with various fencing methods and signs to keep people away from the land. [1]

National intervention

The EPA states that federal government had decided to address the CPS Madison site in two stages including interim and long remedial. [1] Regarding superfund sites, the EPA claims that “sites with HRS scores of 28.5 or greater are eligible for placement on the NPL." CPS Madison Industries remains on the National Priority List, eventually lowering on the scale as clean ups occur. [4] Following the locations classification as a superfund site by the EPA, with the aid of the superfund reserve, the EPA was able to put in place water purifying systems in attempt to repair the damages made to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, enhanced the groundwater pump and treat systems, and commenced with in 2015 and are still proceeding with remedial investigations administered and organized by the EPA and carried out by the state to potentially be able to once again use the sites land in a safe fashion.

Health and environmental hazards

Many of the problems with the superfund program are illustrated by the CPS Madison Industries case, according to the Star Ledger. [5] The company is blamed for contaminating Perth Amboy, New Jersey’s water supply, but still has not cleaned it up. The EPA has claimed to have assumed procedural changes to expedite cleanups as stated by the state news service from the New York Times, including stricter supervision of contracted clean up companies and more emphasis on public disclosure. The hazardous chemicals used at the CPS Madison Industries’ superfund site consisted of volatile organic compounds (VOC), as well as zinc sulfate and copper compounds.

Chemical contamination

Volatile Organic Compounds are organic chemicals that consist of a high vapor pressure at regular room temperature. Many Volatile Organic Compounds are hazardous air pollutants that can contribute to climate change. “At present, not much is known about what health effects occur from the levels of organic compounds are known to cause cancer in animals; some are suspected of causing, or are known to cause cancer in humans,” according to Wikipedia. These composites can potentially harm humans in a fatal way, and along with zinc sulfate and copper cause trauma to the earth and nature surrounding.

Clean up

At the CPS Madison Industries superfund site, clean up methods were initiated originally with groundwater pump and treat systems along with efforts to put up fencing around Prickett’s Pond and Prickett’s Brook which is downgradient from the site. Part of the property was owned by Old Bridge Chemicals Inc. and another part by Madison Industries. The Old Bridge Chemicals Inc. side of the site is currently clear of all toxins, but the Madison Industries side according to the EPA is neither clear nor has the ability to be used safely by people, and is still undergoing remedial investigations that began in 2015. [1]

Initial cleanup

The initial cleanup of the CPS Madison Industries site began in 1991, after the EPA recognized the area as a superfund site in 1983, with implementing groundwater pump and treat systems. Pump and treat is a common method for cleaning up groundwater contaminated with dissolved chemicals, where the water is pumped from wells to an above-ground treatment system to remove the contaminants. [6] Prickett’s Pond and Prickett’s Brook, which are downstream from the superfund area, though they were not for human use prior to the site, have enclosures such as fencing around the areas as well as “No Trespassing” signs to serve as warnings. [1]

Current status

Air stripping techniques are presently used, in addition to the other cleanup methods, to remove the Volatile Organic Compounds by moving air through contaminated waters in above ground treatment systems. On site response actions are still being taken with feasibility studies underway stating that the CPS or Old Bridge Chemicals Inc. side is currently safe, but the Madison Industries side of the property is still under intense cleanup and investigations. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental remediation</span> Removal of pollution from soil, groundwater etc.

Environmental remediation deals with the removal of pollution or contaminants from environmental media such as soil, groundwater, sediment, or surface water. Remedial action is generally subject to an array of regulatory requirements, and may also be based on assessments of human health and ecological risks where no legislative standards exist, or where standards are advisory.

Vapor intrusion (VI) is a process by which chemicals in soil or groundwater - especially Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) - migrate to indoor air above a contaminated site.

AMCO Chemical was a chemical distribution company located in Oakland, California. The land the company operated on is designated as a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund cleanup site.

Havertown Superfund is a 13-acre polluted groundwater site in Havertown, Pennsylvania contaminated by the dumping of industrial waste by National Wood Preservers from 1947 to 1991. The state first became aware of the pollution in 1962 and initiated legal action against the owners in 1973 to force them to cleanup the site. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ranked the site the eighth worst cleanup project in the United States. The site was added to the National Priorities List in 1983 and designated as a Superfund cleanup site in the early 1990s. Remediation and monitoring efforts are ongoing and the EPA transferred control of the site to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Creosote Works (Pensacola Plant)</span>

The American Creosote Works Superfund site is an inactive wood-treating facility in Pensacola, Florida. The 18-acre site is located about 600 yards north of the confluence of Bayou Chico and Pensacola Bay at 701 S "J" Street. The Superfund program of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for cleaning up the nation's most contaminated land and responding to environmental emergencies, oil spills, and natural disasters.

The Lipari Landill is an inactive landfill on a 6-acre (2.4 ha) former gravel pit in Mantua Township, New Jersey. It was used from 1958 to 1971 as a dump site for household and industrial wastes. Toxic organic compounds and heavy metals dumped at the site have percolated into the ground water and leached into lakes and streams in the surrounding area. The site has been identified as the worst toxic dump in the United States and was ranked at the top of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund eligibility list.

Pemaco is a former chemical mixing company and facility located on the Los Angeles River in Maywood, a small city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California.

The Omega Chemical Corporation was a refrigerant and solvent recycling company that operated from 1976 to 1991 in Whittier, California. Due to improper waste handling and removal, the soil and groundwater beneath the property became contaminated and the area is now referred to as the Omega Chemical Superfund Site. Cleanup of the site began in 1995 with the removal of hazardous waste receptacles and a multimillion-dollar soil vaporization detoxifying system.

Cooper Drum Company recycled closed top, steel drums on a 3.8-acre (15,000 m2) facility in South Gate, California from 1976 to 2003. They used strong chemicals to recondition the drums, leading to public concern about health impacts on the surrounding community. In particular, staff and students from Tweedy Elementary School, which borders the Cooper Drum site to the south, complained of health problems that may have resulted from exposure to toxic chemical coming from Cooper Drum Company. In June 2001, the Cooper Drum site was placed on the Superfund list, marking the site as one of the most high priority toxic cleanup sites in the United States.

The Ashland/Northern States Power Lakefront Superfund site is a contaminated region of the Wisconsin shoreline of Lake Superior that is being studied for remediation by Northern States Power Wisconsin (NSPW), as well as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR). This site has held a manufactured gas plant from 1845 to 1947, as well as lumber manufacturing and treatment mills for four decades at the start of the 20th century, railcar loading facilities, and a municipal landfill. Additionally, a wastewater treatment plant is located on the premises, but is not in operation. Contamination of the site is currently believed to have been caused by all the parties mentioned above, or former owners of the property whose companies are no longer in business. The area is listed as a Superfund site by the EPA under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). Releases of hazardous substances occurred onshore and migrated into sediment in Chequamagon Bay on Lake Superior.

Kauffman & Minteer Inc. (K&M) was an industrial transportation company that operated from 1960 to 1981 in Burlington County, New Jersey. After cleaning their trucks, they dumped the waste water into a nearby lagoon that was not properly lined. The lagoon flooded and the waste water containing chemicals, migrated over to wetlands, causing damage to vegetation and seeping into underground drinking water. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) got involved in 1989 and conducted a few remediation attempts but the extent of the damage is hard to determine as the different underground pathways of water are unpredictable. The site is currently an active superfund site that is closely monitored by the EPA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Combe Fill South Superfund Site</span> Superfund site on the border of Chester Township and Washington Township, New Jersey

The Combe Fill South Landfill is located on the border of Chester and Washington townships, both of which are in Morris County, in the state of New Jersey. The Landfill was put on the National Priority List by the EPA in September 1983 due to the site being tested for potentially dangerous chemicals, such as benzene, methylene chloride, and chloroform. Despite attempts to clean up, the site has remained an active Superfund as of September 25, 2017.

The A.O. Polymer manufacturing site is located in Sparta Township, New Jersey. This facility created special polymers, plastics, and resins. It was also used for reclaiming spent solvents. The facility's poor waste handling led to serious contamination of the ground. It also contaminated the water in the ground with volatile organic compounds. The site has been a threat to the Allentown aquifer, which provides drinking water to over 5,000 people. Initial clean ups started with getting rid of old drums and contaminants from their original disposal area. The company took them and decided to dispose of them elsewhere, thus not fixing the problem. Primary cleanups of the site were ongoing as of 2008. The EPA has been using water pumps to remove contaminants from the water in the ground. A soil extraction system has been put at their disposal to remove harmful contamination within the soil as well. All wells in the affected areas have been closed.

Emmell's Septic Landfill (ESL) is located at 128 Zurich Ave, Galloway Township, New Jersey and takes up about 38 acres of space. The landfill was in operation from 1967 until 1979. ESL disposed of liquid and solid waste including many chemicals such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), Trichloroethene and Vinyl chloride which all had their own effect on the environment and community. These chemicals affected the groundwater required millions of dollars to reconstruct the groundwater pathways and provide clean water to residents. The landfill holds a Hazardous Ranking Score of a 50/100, qualifying for the Superfund National Priority List. In August 1999, the state acknowledged the site's contamination and held town meetings and provided research upon the site such as groundwater samples. In July 1997, a sitewide investigation was called upon by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. In total the clean up was estimated to cost $5 million to fund this superfund site, and a grant of $3.9 million was given by the Federal Government under the Recovery Act Funding (Previti). Today, the project is still ongoing however, greatly improved since the landfill was discovered.

The Diamond Head Oil Refinery is a former oil reprocessing facility located in Kearny, New Jersey, United States, that was designated as a Superfund site by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It opened up in 1946, but then stopped production in 1979 and has been inactive since then. The refinery was shut down in 1980 and the EPA designated it as a Superfund site in 1991 due to the discovery of toxic chemicals in the soil and the surface water. This created a dangerous work environment for the workers at the facility. The EPA proposed a clean up plan for the site, but it has yet to take effect. So far, the Diamond Head site is still in the process of being cleaned up. Although cleanup plans were discussed and finalized, the future of the Diamond Head Oil Refinery and its cleanup state is unknown.

Bog Creek Farm, located in Howell Township, New Jersey, is a designated Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund site. Lying on 12 acres of land, Bog Creek Farm is home to several hazardous and life-threatening contamination beginning in 1973 and continuing for a year. Over a decade later, actions began to take place to clean and restore the contaminated soil and water. Bog Creek Farm is situated near several other farms that house horses, growing crops and flowers, and livestock. Less than a mile down the road lies Allaire State Park, a park used by golfers, hunters, and fisherman.

The Horseshoe Road Complex Superfund Site in Sayreville, New Jersey is a 12-acre property located near the Raritan River. The industrial site has been out of operation since the early 1980s after a fire revealed 70 drums containing silver cyanide, ethyl acetate, and acetonitrile. The drums caught the attention of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and by 1995 the Horseshoe Road Complex was on the National Priorities List. The site had three areas consisting of the Atlantic Development Corporation (ADC), Horseshoe Road Drum Dump, and Sayreville Pesticide Dump. The neighboring Atlantic Resources Corporation, the location for precious metal recovery, is addressed with the Horseshoe Road Complex (HRC) site due to the intermixing of chemical contamination. The on-site contamination is not an immediate threat to the surrounding community, although prolonged or repeated exposure to the site itself, will result in health effects. The HRC Superfund site is now in its final steps of cleanup in accordance to the EPA's plan.

Brook Industrial Park (BIP) is an industrial area occupying 4.5 acres of the Borough of Bound Brook, New Jersey, in the United States of America. It is located on the northern bank of the Raritan River. Industrial, chemical and pesticide operations began in 1971 and eventually lead to the contamination of groundwater and exposure of workers to harmful dioxins. Throughout 1980 to 1988 the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) conducted studies to determine if there were any threats being posed on the workers, community or environment by the BIP companies in their disposal of processed and stored chemicals.

The Orange Valley Regional Groundwater Superfund site is a group of wells in Orange and West Orange, two municipalities in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. The groundwater in the public wells are contaminated with the hazardous chemicals of Trichloroethylene (TCE), Dichloroethene (DCE), Tetrachloroethylene (Perchloroethene), 1,1-Dichloroethene (1,1-DCE), and 1,2-Dichloroethene (1,2-DCE). These chemicals pose a huge risk to the towns nearby population, as the wells are a source of public drinking water. In March 2012, the site was added to the National Priorities List (NPL) of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund site list.

Price Landfill is a 26-acre site located in Pleasantville, Egg Harbor Township, Atlantic County, New Jersey. Price Landfill is also known as Price Sanitary Landfill, Prices Pit, Price Landfill No.1 and Price Chemical Dump. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) added Price Landfill to the Superfund National Priorities List on September 20, 1983 because of the hazardous chemicals found on the site and in the groundwater. The site was originally owned by Mr. Charles Price and was used to mine sand and gravel, which was shut down in 1968. The site was then turned into a private landfill in 1969 and then a commercial solid waste landfill in 1971. At this point the landfill was used to dispose of liquid waste by companies, specifically Atlantic City Electric Company. The liquid waste consisted of industrial chemicals, oils and greases/sludges, septic tank and sewer wastes, which were disposed on the site for 8 years, ending altogether in 1976, but in the meantime, having contaminated the groundwater, soil, air, and nearby creeks, specifically Absecon Creek. Chemicals dumped on the site are believed to be 1,2-Dichloroethane, arsenic, benzene, chloroform, lead, and vinyl chloride, all of which contaminated the groundwater, soil, air, and nearby creeks. The USEPA originally got involved in 1982 by beginning to correct the damage. Currently the USEPA states that they are continuing to monitor and treat the groundwater and land, and that hazards to humans are controlled.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Environmental Protection Agency. "Search Superfund Site Information". Environmental Protection Agency. Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  2. ↑ Township of Old Bridge. "History". Old Bridge. Township of Old Bridge. Archived from the original on 17 November 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  3. ↑ Environmental Law Reporter. "City of Perth Amboy v. Madison Industries". ELR. Environmental Law Reporter. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  4. ↑ Environmental Protection Agency. "Introduction to the Hazard Ranking System (HRS)". Environmental Protection Agency. Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  5. ↑ Johnson, Tom. "Hearing On Superfund Told Health Risk is Greater for Those Near Toxic Sites". Access World News. The Star Ledger. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  6. ↑ Environmental Protection Agency. "A Citizen's Guide to Pump and Treat" (PDF). Environmental Protection Agency. Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  7. ↑ State News Service (20 December 1987). "Old Bridge To Get 4th Superfund Site". The New York Times. The New York Times. Retrieved 4 October 2017.

Coordinates: 40°25′42″N74°20′12″W / 40.4284°N 74.3368°W / 40.4284; -74.3368

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.