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Community Relations Sites DuPont - Pompton Lakes Works Additional Site Information & FAQsFact Sheet 2010

 

Fact Sheet - DuPont Pompton Lakes Remediation 2010
Posted 20 January 2010

E.I. DuPont De Nemours & Company (DuPont) is located at 2000 Cannonball Road in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey. The site occupies approximately 600 acres of land in Pompton Lakes and Wanaque. Two parallel valleys (Wanaque River and Acid Brook) run through the site, north to south.  Land use in the vicinity of the site is predominantly residential and commercial, but also includes undeveloped areas, an interstate highway (Route 287) and state-owned forest.

DuPont conducted operations at the site from 1902 to April 1994, when the facility closed. DuPont manufactured lead azide, aluminum, or bronze shelled blasting caps and operated processes producing metal wires and aluminum and copper shells.  The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Administrative Consent Order (ACO), NJDEP Ground Water Permit (NJPDES-DGW) and a United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Hazardous and Solid Waste (HSWA) Permit require cleanup of the facility.

DuPont is currently conducting remedial investigations and remedial actions. EPA and NJDEP are coordinating regulatory reviews of all required reports and workplans. The manufacturing operations and waste management practices throughout the site resulted in contamination in groundwater, sediments and soils. To date, significant investigation and remediation has been conducted in soils and groundwater and additional remedial actions and investigation are required in the future to fully remediate site discharges.

Site discharges of lead and mercury contaminated the sediments and soils in the Acid Brook and surrounding flood plain leading to Pompton Lake.  The contaminated sediments also impacted residential properties along the Acid Brook.  In 1991, DuPont began remediation of contaminated Acid Brook sediments. The soil and sediment remediation along Acid Brook including residential properties was completed and approved by EPA and NJDEP in 1997.  Additional sediment investigation is being conducted in the Acid Brook Delta Area of Pompton Lake. Based on an ecological evaluation, sediment remediation of Pompton Lake is required. The Pompton Lake sediment Remedial Action Workplan will include a public comment period.

The primary contaminants in the groundwater are chlorinated volatile organic compounds, such as tetrachloroethene (PCE), trichloroethene (TCE), cis 1,2-dichloroethene, and vinyl chloride.  EPA and NJDEP required DuPont to investigate ground water and install a ground water pump and treat system to control ground water contamination emanating from the site. The ground water treatment system became operational in 1998.  The ground water investigation also documented an off-site plume of chlorinated solvents that emanated from the site toward Pompton Lake.  Over the past ten years, concentrations of contaminants within the plume have varied.  However, the overall size of the plume has not changed.

Based on updates in the science of vapor intrusion, analytical protocol and vapor investigation requirements, EPA and NJDEP required DuPont to conduct a vapor intrusion study of the off-site plume.  In May 2008, EPA and NJDEP received data from DuPont documenting soil gas concentrations beneath the foundations elevated above the latest soil gas screening level (NJDEP Vapor Intrusion Guidance Document, 10/05). As a result of the elevated soil gas, EPA and NJDEP required DuPont to submit a workplan to address vapor intrusion concerns and conduct additional groundwater and vapor investigation.   In June of 2008, EPA and NJDEP approved DuPont’s Interim Remedial Action Workplan including installation of subslab depressurization systems to mitigate all structures potentially impacted by the plume and conduct additional vapor and ground water investigation.  There are 439 structures present in the vapor mitigation area.  In November of 2009, EPA and NJDEP approved DuPont’s plan for additional sampling at homes that had not provided DuPont access to install subslab systems. EPA and NJDEP also required DuPont to conduct additional evaluation of potential groundwater treatment technologies to remediate the off-site volatile organic plume.

In the Wanaque River Manufacturing areas, site discharges have contaminated soils and Wanaque River sediments. Soil remediation has been conducted both on and off site in the Wanaque River Valley.  Additional soils and sediment investigations are being conducted to determine appropriate future remedial actions.

Remediation and additional investigation of soil contamination in the former plant area in the Acid Brook Valley Manufacturing areas is also continuing. 

Required 2010 actions and submissions by DuPont:

Timeframe Action
Ongoing DuPont will continue to install Subslab Depressurization Systems and conduct any required testing of homes.
12/31/09 DuPont submitted the remedial technology evaluation for the off-site volatile organic groundwater plume. It is being reviewed by NJDEP and EPA with input from ORD.
6/30/10 Remedial Investigation for the Acid Brook Valley Manufacturing areas is due.
6/30/10 Remedial Investigation for the Wanaque River Valley Manufacturing areas is due.
6/30/10 Vapor Intrusion Remedial Investigation report is due.
6/30/10 Acid Brook Delta/Pompton Lake Sediment Remedial Action Workplan is due.
Public Notice for Pompton Lake sediment removal plan is required. Pending public participation/comments, a final design document is projected to be submitted on 12/31/10.
7/30/10 Wanaque River Valley Remedial Investigation of surface water and sediment is due.

For More Information Please Contact:

NJDEP: Heather Swartz (609) 984-7135
EPA: David Kluesner (212) 637-3653
NJDOH: Somia Aluwalia or Sharon Kubiak (609) 826-4984
NJDOH: Kate McGreevey or Christina Fontecchio (609) 826-4920
ATSDR: Leah Graziano (732) 906-6932

 

DuPont - Pompton Lakes Works
Pompton Lakes, Passaic County
PI# 007411

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