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Community Relations Community Relations Site List NJNG Long Branch Site November 2006 Update

  

New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG) Long Branch Plant Site Update

Long Branch, Monmouth County
November 2006

This report is provided in response to a request by the Concerned Citizens Coalition of Long Branch (CCC) for monthly updates from the Site Remediation and Waste Management Program (SRWM) on work conducted and planned at four areas associated with the former Long Branch Manufactured Gas Plant (MGP). These areas are:

  • the former MGP (including the former Conrail properties, eastern off-site property, and former Jerry Morgan Park)
  • the off-site portion of Troutmans Creek that flows north of the MGP
  • residential areas where the community has expressed concern about potential soil contamination (Long Branch Avenue, Seaview Avenue, Grant Court and Ellis Avenue)
  • the former Seaview Manor housing complex

All work is consistent with NJDEP’s Technical Requirements for Site Remediation, which were developed to ensure remedial actions protect human health and the environment.

For historical information about activities that NJDEP and NJNG have conducted at these areas, please refer to the monthly updates NJDEP has provided to CCC since January 2005. The updates are available at https://www.nj.gov/dep/srp/community/highlights.htm. For more information, see NJDEP’s Environmental Justice web page at https://www.nj.gov/dep/ej.

1) Long Branch Plant

Red Brick Building
Based on its review of NJNG’s Remedial Investigation Report (RIR) and Addendum Letter for this area, NJDEP has determined that additional soil sampling must be conducted to verify that the volatile organic compounds (PCE and TCE) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the soil have been fully delineated. To address this requirement, NJNG submitted a Draft Revised Remedial Action Work Plan (RAWP) that includes post-remediation sampling on November 22, 2006. NJDEP is reviewing the document and expects to issue comments in January 2007.

APSC, On-Site Portion of Troutmans Creek and remainder of MGP
NJNG took possession of the APSC property in September 2006 and has finished demolishing the building. NJDEP received a revised RAWP Addendum outlining NJNG’s plans to remediate these areas on October 31, 2006. NJDEP reviewed the document and issued an approval letter on November 28, 2006. NJNG is expected to submit a Draft Revised Remedial Action Report (RAR) summarizing the remedial work conducted in this area on January 14, 2008.

Soil Gas Investigation
NJNG’s February 2006 RIR on the soil gas investigation concluded vapor intrusion was not a concern for the Talco property and NJDEP has accepted this conclusion. NJNG has demolished the building at the APSC property, thereby eliminating the need to evaluate vapor intrusion for the structure. NJNG must still evaluate all of the former MGP as specified by NJDEP’s Vapor Intrusion Guidance on future use of undeveloped parcels.

Ground Water Investigation
NJDEP received a Draft Remedial Investigation Work Plan (RIWP) on October 26, 2006 containing proposals in response to the NJDEP’s comment letters dated July 21, 2006, July 28, 2006, and August 18, 2006. In summary, the proposals address requirements to further delineate both dissolved ground water contamination and dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL). The RIWP also contains proposals to conduct post-remediation soil sampling on Block 400 Lot 6 and additional soil investigation within the Seaview Avenue right of way. NJNG is also continuing the pilot test study to obtain data to support remedy selection and reports the data to NJDEP in quarterly ACO progress reports. NJDEP plans to complete its review by late December 2006.

2) Off-Site Portion of Troutmans Creek

NJNG has completed the fieldwork described in the Draft Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) Work Plan dated March 2006. NJNG will submit a Draft RIR (ERA) summarizing its findings on January 18, 2007.

NJDEP has reviewed NJNG’s Draft RAWP for Troutmans Creek dated March 2006 and issued a comment letter in August 2006. NJDEP advised NJNG that it must first complete the ERA and delineate soil and product contamination in the creek (see next paragraph) before submitting a revised RAWP for this area. The revised RAWP for the off-site portion of Troutmans Creek was due in April 2007, but now NJNG will submit this RAWP on March 13, 2007.

In September 2006, NJDEP issued a conditional approval letter for NJNG’S RIWP outlining plans to delineate free and residual product and soil contamination on the banks of Troutmans Creek. NJNG initiated the fieldwork described in the RIWP on October 30, 2006 and will submit an RIR summarizing its findings to NJDEP on March 13, 2007.

3) Off-Site Residential Areas

NJDEP issued an RIR in February 2006 that summarized the findings of the soil sampling it conducted on Long Branch Avenue, Seaview Avenue, Ellis Avenue and Grant Court. The investigation revealed that two shallow soil samples collected from beneath the pavement on Ellis Avenue contained semi-volatile organic compounds and a metal at levels exceeding NJDEP’s soil cleanup criteria. It also revealed that two deep soil samples (collected more than six feet below grade) at Grant Court contained semi-volatile organic compounds and metals above NJDEP’s soil cleanup criteria. In addition, one surface soil sample near a dumpster in the Grant Court housing development contained arsenic above NJDEP’s soil cleanup criteria.

The Long Branch Housing Authority (LBHA) placed gravel over the area near the dumpster and installed a temporary fence around it. LBHA subsequently conducted a remedial investigation to delineate the extent of contamination on Grant Court. NJDEP issued an approval letter for LBHA’s RIR and RIR Addendum for the deep soil contamination at Grant Court in August 2006. The approval letter confirmed that LBHA adequately delineated the soil contamination in this area and requested LBHA submit an RAWP for Grant Court. NJDEP received the RAWP on October 11, 2006 and plans to complete its review in December 2006.

NJDEP will investigate the extent of the soil contamination beneath the pavement at Ellis Avenue. The timing of NJDEP’s investigation is still being discussed, but will likely be scheduled for late spring/early summer 2007.

4) Seaview Manor

NJDEP issued three separate no further action (NFA) letters for Block 400 Lot 7, all of which were dated October 31, 2006. One was for the unrestricted use remedial action NJNG conducted for areas A and B, another was for the restricted use remedial action NJNG conducted on the southeastern corner of this parcel, and the last was for the restricted use remedial action performed for LBHA’s two former underground storage tanks.

NJNG reviewed NJNG’s February 2006 RAR for the remainder of the LBHA properties and adjacent properties and issued a comment letter in August 2006. NJDEP required NJNG to submit an RIWP Addendum with proposals to satisfy the post-remediation sampling requirements for Block 400, Lot 6 and further investigate potential soil contamination beneath Seaview Avenue. The RIWP Addendum was integrated into the RIWP described under the ground water investigation section of this update and was received by NJDEP on October 26, 2006. NJDEP plans to complete its review of the RIWP Addendum in December 2006.

Culvert Status
NJNG initiated a remedial action to remove the culvert and underlying contamination in late in October 2006. Substantial completion of the remedial action has been achieved with activities such as contractor demobilization, restoration and reporting currently underway or pending. NJNG plans to submit the RAR Addendum for the culvert area to NJDEP on April 9, 2007.

Related Information

LBHA Activities
Installation of the storm water and sanitary sewer lines was completed in August 2006, along with decontamination of the sheet piling installed within Troutmans Creek. The RAR documenting all of these activities was due in November 2006, but NJDEP granted LBHA’s request to extend the due date and the RAR will now be submitted on December 15, 2006.