Chevron Chemical
Co./Ortho Division
800 METUCHEN ROAD
SOUTH PLAINFIELD
MIDDLESEX COUNTY
PI# G000001553
Fact Sheet — January 2012
Adobe Acrobat version of the Fact Sheet
[pdf 28 kb]
Site History
Prior to 1952, the Chevron Chemical Company site was a rail yard.
Between 1952 and 1985, Chevron processed consumer and agricultural
products, including pesticides. Bulk materials were brought to
the site and blended, reformulated and packaged for distribution.
Product formulation ceased in 1985. Between 1985 and when it closed
in 1990, the Chevron facility was used for product warehousing
and distribution.
The primary contaminants of concern at the Chevron facility due
to its operations are organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). OCPs adhere
strongly to soil particles and are not very soluble in water.
Extensive remedial investigation and cleanup activities have been
completed at the former Chevron facility, including the excavation
and off-site disposal of approximately 20,000 tons of OCP-contaminated
soil. The heavily contaminated soil that was the primary source
of contamination to the ground water has been removed. Ground
water treatment was conducted at the former Chevron facility for
several years during the late 1990s, and additional ground water
remediation alternatives will be evaluated as part of required
future remedial action plans. Monitoring well sampling has not
identified any significant OCP contamination in the ground water
beyond the perimeter of the facility, and monitoring of the ground
water quality is ongoing.
Over the years, OCP-contaminated soil and sediments have migrated
off site via surface water runoff to the adjacent areas listed
below.
Abramson Property
The Abramson Property is a heavily wooded parcel east-southeast
of the Chevron site composed of approximately twelve acres within
South Plainfield Borough and three acres in Edison Township. Chevron
obtained title to the South Plainfield parcel in 2008 and the
Edison parcel in 2011.
Since 1993, Chevron has collected approximately 172 soil samples
from 114 locations at the Abramson Property. The sampling revealed
OCP contaminants minimally above soil cleanup concentrations at
many of those locations. Ecological risk assessments have demonstrated
that the levels of OCP contamination in the soil are acceptable
for the ecological habitat. Consequently, NJDEP issued an Ecological
No Further Action for the Abramson property in 2004. Chevron also
conducted an assessment of the potential risk to trespassers,
which demonstrated the levels of OCP contamination in the soil
are acceptable to people that may occasionally walk on the Abramson
property.
As part of the final remedy for the Abramson property, Chevron
has proposed installing a fence around the perimeter. This remedial
alternative will protect against potential human exposure without
requiring a large scale removal of trees along with any minimally
contaminated soil. The perimeter fence will also prevent illegal
dumping.
Conrail Spur Easements
Soil sampling conducted at the Conrail easement along the eastern
side of the former Chevron site revealed elevated levels of OCP
contamination in one area. Chevron is required to evaluate the
potential impact of this contamination to the ground water by
installing an additional monitoring well in this area. In November
2011, NJDEP’s Land Use Regulation Program approved Chevron’s
Freshwater Wetlands Permit application for the well. Chevron is
proposing to excavate the top two feet of contaminated soils along
the spurs.
Hummel Chemical Company
The Hummel Chemical Company is located northeast of the former
Chevron facility. In 1992, Chevron excavated the upper three feet
(2,753 tons) of pesticide-contaminated soil from the southern
portion of the Hummel property and disposed of it off site. Additional
soil sampling was conducted in this area in 1995 to determine
the extent of the remaining low level contamination. Chevron’s
proposed remedy for the Hummel Property includes additional soil
excavation as well as a deed notice and engineering controls (asphalt
cover, storm water management and maintenance program).
United Steel Deck (USD)
The USD property is located east of the former Chevron facility.
In 2003, Chevron completed a remedial investigation to evaluate
potential OCP contamination in the soil around the USD building,
and in the sediments and surface water in the storm water retention
pond and drainage ditch. Chevron’s proposed remedy for this
property includes a deed notice and excavation of OCP-contaminated
material in the top two feet of the drainage ditch. Clean backfill
will be used to restore the drainage ditch.
Culvert Channel, Unnamed Tributary to the Bound Brook
and Associated Floodplain
OCP contamination carried by surface water runoff from the former
Chevron facility travels south to an unnamed tributary of Bound
Brook through culverts extending under Metuchen Road and the former
Lehigh Valley Rail Road corridor. The contamination extends into
an area that is part of the Woodbrook Road Dump Superfund site,
which is being evaluated by USEPA.
A Baseline Ecological Risk Assessment examined the unnamed tributary,
culvert channel and associated floodplain and the potential risks
to ecological receptors that may result from OCP exposure. Chevron
proposed excavating select areas of contaminated soil and sediments
from the culvert channel and a portion of the floodplain. The
remaining low-level contaminated soil will be capped and a deed
notice will be established for the property.
Chevron conducted a study in 2008 to evaluate the potential for
the upstream OCP-contaminated soil to become re-suspended and
transported downstream to the culvert channel and unnamed tributary.
Chevron has concluded that after it conducts the proposed excavations
and re-seeds the excavated areas with wetland species, the estimated
future maximum soil contaminant concentrations would be less than
they are currently, and the modeled ecological risks will be in
a range that are protective of human health and the environment.
Future
DEP has conditionally approved Chevron’s proposed remedies;
however, the owners of the off-site properties are evaluating
the proposed remedies to determine whether they concur, since
the remedies would restrict the future uses of the properties.
As part of Chevron’s proposal, the excavated materials from
selected on-site areas, along with the soil removed from all of
the off-site areas, will be consolidated and used for grading
atop the former Chevron building slab and other areas outside
of the flood hazard zone. An estimated 15,000 cubic yards of material
will be capped with an impermeable liner and a two foot layer
of clean soil. The soil layer will be vegetated to prevent erosion
and a deed notice will be established for the property. This remedial
action will ensure the contaminants in the soil are safely encapsulated
and do not pose a threat to human health or the environment.
In response to concerns about the possible redistribution of contamination
following Hurricane Irene flooding, Chevron has begun to conduct
soil sampling on the eight residential properties on the west
side of New York Avenue that abut the Abramson Property. Chevron
has contacted the property owners to arrange the sampling.
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Technical Assistance
Grant (Tag)
Finding of Substantial Public Interest
On October 24, 2011, Edison Wetlands Association (EWA) submitted
a petition signed by more than 60 people that live and/or work
near the site.
The Department has evaluated the petition submitted by Executive
Director Robert Spiegel, on behalf of EWA, and made a finding
of substantial public interest on October 27, 2011.
Letter of Intent
On May 6, 2010, a Letter of Intent
was submitted to the Department stating that EWA intends to apply
for a TAG. EWA also published a public notice in the Home News
tribune on November 3, 2011 regarding the request for a grant.
There were no additional Letters of Intent received by the Department
for this site.
Application
EWA submitted a TAG application on January 27, 2012. NJDEP has
approved the application.
For more information, please contact:
Mark Herzberg
Office of Community Relations
P: 609-633-1369
F: 609-292-4401
mark.herzberg@dep.nj.gov
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