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Site Remediation News May 2001 (Vol 13 N0 1) Article 02

Removal of USTs and Contaminated Soils Allow Immediate Reuse of Two Contaminated Sites

By: Peter Cagno, Bureau of Construction

In the world of environmental cleanups, it is not uncommon for an abandoned contaminated site to sit relatively untouched and unusable for years before it is properly addressed. PA/SI, RI, RAW, RA – these are some of the acronyms used in our business. The most coveted, however, is NFA, or “No Further Action.” There are many different ways to get from Point A (contamination identification) to Point B (site cleanup/ NFA). In many instances multiple remedial investigations are needed and many remedial alternatives are evaluated. One of the many downsides to these steps is that a contaminated property can sit vacant, usually run down and in a state of disrepair, contributing to the blight of the city, town or neighborhood.

Former Marine Police Station – Monmouth Beach

The former Marine Police station located on the oceanfront in Monmouth Beach, Monmouth County, had been all but abandoned after a nor'easter hit in December 1992. The building suffered severe structural damage during the storm and was in a complete state of disrepair. Many people thought the building should be torn down, however, the 100+ year old building held a rich history within the small beach community.

During the winter of 1995, an oil sheen was observed intermittently coming from a storm sewer outfall into the Shrewsbury River, about two blocks from the site. The two underground storage tanks at the site were suspected of being the source. A private contractor subsequently removed the USTs in early 1998. In March 1998, however, a sheen was still being detected in the river.

Since the State owned the property, the case was referred to NJDEP, Division of Publicly Funded Site Remediation for remedial action. The case was classified as an Immediate Environmental Concern (IEC) due to the impact to surface water. With cooperation from the Monmouth Beach sewer authority, the storm sewer line was videotaped to look for evidence of oil seepage into the pipe. While viewing the tape, it appeared as if the sanitary sewer lateral coming from the old building traversed the concrete storm pipe. The area was investigated using test trenches where it was found that the sanitary sewer lateral was acting as a conduit for fuel oil product to enter into the hole that was made in the storm pipe. The old sanitary lateral was removed and the hole in the pipe was immediately patched.

Remedial alternatives were evaluated for the contaminated saturated soil, including bioremediation. Complete source removal was determined to be the best alternative. During the summer of 1998 some 750 cubic yards of contaminated soil were removed and transported off-site for recycling. The DEP’s quick actions alleviated soil, ground water and surface water impacts at the site, so all that remained was the dilapidated building. The swift and positive response by DEP inspired to the residents of Monmouth Beach to save this piece of history. Through donations and many volunteer efforts, the building was completely refurbished and as of Memorial Day 2000, became the new home of the Monmouth Beach Cultural Center.

331 Broadway, Long Branch

The second site is located at 331 Broadway in Long Branch and is an abandoned gas station. The site consisted of a boarded up, single story block building with three suspected USTs. The site had been abandoned for over a decade. Garbage and litter were strewn about the site, which was found to be the source of gasoline vapors in a nearby utility vault as well as soil contamination under an adjacent building.

This facility was situated on the corner of an older strip mall on the main street of Long Branch across from the Long Branch Municipal Complex. The owners of the adjacent building had become very frustrated because the uncertain future of this property made it impossible to market their abandoned building left to them by their grandfather.

Since there was no viable responsible party, the NJDEP, DPFSR addressed the IEC in the fall of 1998. Remedial investigations concluded that soil across the entire 90' x 50' site was contaminated with gasoline. After evaluating remedial alternatives including soil vapor extraction and ground water treatment, complete source removal was selected. In December 1998, the small gas station building was razed and about 1720 tons of contaminated soil were removed and transported off-site for recycling. The entire site was excavated from corner to corner. In addition to the original three USTs, an additional five USTs were found during the removal.

Once again, complete source removal addressed the impacted soils, while the relatively low-level ground water contamination will be addressed via natural attenuation. Not only did removing the rundown struc-ture allow complete source removal, but the vacant lot proved to be an attractive addition to a prospective buyer of the adjacent building. The adjacent building was recently purchased and is being refurbished. The owner is working with the town and the Department to purchase the now vacant lot, which will be paved, landscaped and used for parking.

Although on a small scale, these two cases demonstrate how performing a quick and concise remedial action can lead to a swift positive response from the community and return near worthless properties back into something beneficial. -End of Article-

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