| CLEANUP
BEGINS AT ROCKAWAY TOWNSHIP SUPERFUND SITE
Groundwater and Soil
Treatment Will Protect Public Drinking Water Supply
TRENTON (05/89) -- Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell today announced
the start of a $1.25 million groundwater and soil cleanup by Alliant
Techsystems at the Rockaway Township Wells Superfund site in Morris
County.
"Protecting Rockaway Township's drinking water supply safeguards
the health of this community," said Acting Governor Richard
J. Codey. "We will diligently enforce the cleanup of New
Jersey's water resources where pollution from leaking tanks and
other sources threatens public health."
Contamination found in the 1980s at the Rockaway Township Wells
Superfund site originated from the former Naval Industrial Reserve
Plant, which is now the Denville Technical Park and located near
the township's drinking water wells. Underground storage tanks
and degreasing units at the former Naval Industrial Reserve Plant,
which held a variety of materials including solvents with trichloroethylene,
were sources of the pollution. At that time, Rockaway Township
installed an activated carbon adsorption system and air-stripping
unit at the township's drinking water wells to treat groundwater
prior to distribution to ensure a safe public water supply.
"This cleanup finally begins restoration of groundwater
resources so vital to the Rockaway Township community," said
Commissioner Campbell. "Responsible party funding for the
cleanup saves taxpayers money while providing for long-term monitoring
of the site."
Constructed at the Denville Technical Park, the new treatment
system began operating June 6 to extract and treat soil vapors
and groundwater contaminated beneath the site. The extracted groundwater
is treated in an air-stripping unit and discharged to the Beaver
Brook. The extracted vapors are treated in an activated carbon
unit and discharged to the atmosphere.
The new treatment system is designed to extract 68 gallons per
minute of contaminated groundwater and 450 cubic feet per minute
of contaminated vapors. There are 12 soil vapor extraction wells,
three groundwater extraction wells and three dual-phase extraction
wells that extract both vapors and groundwater.
The Rockaway Township Wells site was placed on the National Priorities
List of Superfund sites in 1983 after the volatile organic compounds
and gasoline additives were detected. Currently, the township
uses only the air-stripping unit for routine water treatment at
its drinking water well system, but still uses the carbon adsorption
treatment system whenever the air-stripping unit is taken out
of service for maintenance or repair.
DEP investigations in the 1980s also identified two gas stations
on Green Pond Road as other sources of groundwater contamination
in the vicinity of the Rockaway Township Wells site, in addition
to the Denville Technical Park. Contamination from both a Shell
and Exxon service station has been addressed by parties responsible
for those sites under DEP oversight and no further action is required
at these locations.
Alliant Techsystems is responsible for constructing and operating
the treatment system. Although Alliant Techsystems did not contaminate
the site, it assumed the responsibility for the cleanup in 2001
when it became a corporate successor of the operators of the former
Naval Industrial Reserve Plant. The total cost of remediation
work at the Rockaway Township Wells site is approximately $4 million.
Alliant Techsystems also is responsible for the operation and
maintenance costs of the air-stripping unit on Rockaway Township's
drinking water wells.
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