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TRENTON - The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services
(DHSS) and the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR) have released for public comment a public
health assessment on Quanta Resources Corporation, a former
waste oil reclamation center in Edgewater, Bergen County.
The
draft assessment concludes that there is currently no evidence that
people have come or are coming in contact with contaminants from
the Quanta site. This conclusion, the assessment notes, should be
revisited if the site is later developed or additional data on the
site, its contaminants or potential human exposure to site-related
contaminants becomes available.
From
1896 to 1974, the Quanta site housed a coal tar distillation plant.
Beginning in 1974, the site was used for the recycling of waste
oil. The oil was stored in above ground and underground tanks that
overflowed when it rained or experienced leaks and spills due to
breaks in the tank system. The site was also frequently flooded
by the Hudson River, resulting in contamination of the waterway.
Soil
sampling at the Quanta site has revealed the presence of metals
including arsenic, chromium and lead, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
(PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Hudson River sediment
samples taken from the site contained the same contaminants, and
off-site soil and sediment samples had contaminant levels similar
to - and sometime higher than - those detected on the Quanta site.
The
Quanta site is currently fenced and closed to the public, and portions
of the property have been paved over. This has limited possible
exposure by the public to contaminants on the site. The DHSS and
ATSDR are recommending that environmental regulatory agencies ensure
that neighboring properties are investigated and, if necessary,
cleaned to protect the health of workers, residents and the general
public. The agencies are also recommending environmental monitoring
of off-site residences and businesses be considered to ensure that
there are no completed human exposure pathways.
The
public is invited to submit written comments on the draft health
assessment through August 10, 2002, to: New Jersey Department of
Health and Senior Services, Consumer and Environmental Health Services,
P.O. Box 369, Trenton NJ 08625-0369.
Copies
of the document and an accompanying citizens'
guide are available for public review at the Edgewater Board
of Health, 1167 River Road, Edgewater; the Edgewater Public Library,
49 Hudson Avenue; and the Bergen County Department of Health Services,
327 Ridgewood Avenue, Paramus. Copies may also be obtained by calling
the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services at 609-588-3120,
or by visiting the department's web site at www.state.nj.us/health.
In
addition to receiving written public comment on the draft health
assessment, the DHSS and ATSDR will host two public availability
sessions on Wednesday, July 24, 2002, at the Edgewater Community
Center, 1167 River Road in Edgewater, to allow individuals the opportunity
to discuss any concerns they have regarding the Quanta site privately
with agency staff. The sessions will be from 2:00-4:00 p.m. and
6:00-8:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary.
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