The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will present a report at a public hearing in the spring of 2009 that will outline the different options for cleaning the Quanta Resources Superfund site on the southern end of River Road.
Residents can comment on the report for up to 30 days after it is issued. The report will address any long-term health risks the site poses.
Representatives from the EPA discussed the upcoming report and coal tar and vapor intrusion evaluations of the site and surrounding area at the Edgewater Community Center July 29.
"When we move forward to propose [clean up] of the site there’s going to be a need for public input," said Natalie Loney, an EPA community involvement coordinator.
The 15-acre site contained a coal tar distillation plant from 1878 to 1971. An oil recycling facility was on the site from 1974 to 1981. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) shut down operations at the site in July 1981 after finding large amounts of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, in storage tanks. The site was placed on the National Superfund Priorities List since September 2002. Fort Lee resident Mitchell Meyer tried to get approval to construct a recreational facility on the site in 2005. The Board of Adjustment denied Meyer’s application for a use variance twice.
The EPA personnel said contaminants on the site do not pose a threat to human health.
"There’s no immediate risk to human health and the environment," Grant Anderson, a hydrologist with the EPA said.
The coal tar and oil on the site are considered non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPL), which Anderson defined as hydrocarbon liquids that don’t mix with water.
Anderson said some NAPLs could move and collect in wells, while some of them are trapped underground. Anderson said the EPA identified five NAPL zones on the property ranging from 3 to 25 feet below the surface.
"Coal tar is widespread across the site," Anderson said. "Differing depths and configurations represent different hazards and risk."
He said it may not be possible to remove all the coal tar.
Michael Sivak, an EPA human health risk assessor, spoke about vapor intrusion, which is when volatile chemicals from groundwater or soil get into the air inside buildings.
Based on the chemicals on the property, the EPA decided there was potential for vapor intrusion in the area. An office complex at 115 River Road and Tomaso’s restaurant at 163 Old River Road were tested for possible vapor intrusion.
A daycare center is located in the office complex. Air samples collected from inside the facility during normal operating conditions did not contain higher than usual levels of chemicals. The EPA also tested the air with the basement fans off and the windows and doors shut. Levels of benzene and naphthalene in the basement exceeded safety standards.
"The building owners were told to keep the basement fans running at all times," Sivak said.
A resident asked what can happen if children have prolonged exposure to the vapors. Sivak said they might experience headaches or respiratory problems. He assured the residents that there is no reason to expect any problems. Sivak said that the chemicals detected in the tests are also found in common cleaning materials.
"The testing levels are built with a safety cushion, so if it’s exceeded, it’s not an immediate problem," Sivak said. "We need to fix it, but not immediately."
A resident from a nearby apartment complex said he sees a reddish substance bubbling in the Hudson River near site that gives off an awful odor. Anderson said it could be the natural process of chemicals breaking down in the water.
Another resident asked if nearby construction of the new municipal complex on the former Unilever property will affect the Quanta site. Hayton said the DEP is in charge of the Unilever site cleanup. Contaminated soil on the Unilever site will be removed before construction begins on the new municipal complex, which is part of the I.Park development project.
Richard Ho, remedial project manager for the Quanta site, said the EPA and DEP have been coordinating their efforts so that the projects don’t affect each other.
"I.Park will start on the southern of its property so that the EPA can finish testing," Ho said.
An information session on soil and groundwater at the site was scheduled to occur Aug. 5.
For more information on the Quanta Resources property call Loney at 212-637-3639 or e-mail her at loney.natalie@epa.gov.
