Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Electronic Parts Specialty Company in Lumberton Township, New Jersey
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- Cleanup Status
- Site Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Site Responsibility
Cleanup Status
Remediation of this facility is being conducted by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) under its Division of Publicly Funded Site Remediation. The plume of contaminated groundwater has migrated off-site and is partially discharging into Bobby's Run. However, NJDEP performed an ecological assessment and determined that this contamination is not causing a significant ecological impact to the stream.
A survey of nearby properties showed there are no private or irrigation wells at risk of becoming contaminated by the groundwater plume. The soil contamination presents a direct contact hazard, but EPSCO fenced off the lagoon and overflow areas to prevent direct contact with the contaminated soil in that area of the site. The contaminated soil is also a continuous source of contamination to the shallow groundwater.
In 1998, NJDEP chose several actions to clean up the site, including the installation of a system to extract the groundwater, remove the contaminants, and then re-inject the treated water on-site. NJDEP also excavated the more highly contaminated "hot spot" soils from the plating building area, the lagoon/overflow area and other areas of the site, and disposed of them at an off-site facility. The less-contaminated soil in the lagoon/overflow area will be covered with a cap to prevent rainwater from infiltrating through the soil.
NJDEP completed excavation and disposal of the soil "hot spots" and lagoon sludges in April 2000. It is now in the design phase of constructing the cap. NJDEP will also design and install a groundwater remediation system to address the groundwater contamination.
Site Description
The Electronics Parts Specialty Company (EPSCO) is located at 41 Coles Avenue in Lumberton Township, New Jersey. EPSCO is a 4.83-acre active industrial facility that has processed metal components for the electronics industry since the mid-1940s. From 1900 to the 1940s, the site was part of the Lumberton Dairy and was used primarily for agriculture and dairy farming. The site did have two permanent structures, a plating building and an office/metal preparation building, but the plating building was demolished in 1999; however, the office/metal preparation building still stands. A housing development borders the east and southeast perimeter of the site. Bobby's Run, a tributary of the south branch of Rancocas Creek, is located approximately 700 yards southwest of the site.
Contaminants at this Facility
DuPont’s manufacturing operations and waste management practices at the site resulted in releases to soil, sediment, and groundwater. The primary contaminants are lead and mercury in soil and sediment, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the groundwater.
Releases of lead and mercury contaminated the sediments and soils in the Acid Brook and flood plain leading to Pompton Lake, impacting approximately 140 residential properties along the Acid Brook. Remediation of the Acid Brook sediments, including residential properties, began in 1991 and was completed in 1996. 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.
In the Wanaque River Manufacturing areas, site discharges have contaminated soils and sediments along the Wanaque River, which flows through the western valley (where DuPont had ceased its operation in the 1920's). Soil remediation has been conducted both on-site and off-site in the Wanaque River Valley. Additional soil and sediment investigations are being conducted to determine appropriate future remedial actions.
In March 2008, DuPont evaluated the potential for vapor intrusion to the indoor air pathway for volatile contaminants in the groundwater plume. Sub-slab sampling at select locations in the groundwater contamination plume was conducted. Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE) concentrations exceeded the applicable criteria, indicating a potential vapor intrusion problem at buildings over the groundwater plume (affecting approximately 439 residences).
DuPont’s Vapor Intrusion Interim Remedial Action Workplan was approved in June 2009. It included the installation of sub-slab depressurization systems at all building structures potentially impacted by the plume and gathering additional vapor and groundwater data. In November 2009, DuPont’s work plan for additional sampling at homes that did not provide DuPont access to install sub-slab systems was approved.
DuPont is also required to conduct additional evaluations of potential groundwater treatment technologies to accelerate the cleanup of the contaminated groundwater plume off-site.
Site Responsibility at this Facility
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action activities at this facility have been conducted under the direction of EPA Region 2.