Superfund Ground Case Study
I am sure by now we all know that a superfund site is a place where toxic wastes have been dumped and the Environmental Protection Agency has designated them to be cleaned up.(Superfund Site.2015 ). It is also the name of the fund established by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (CERCLA statute, CERCLA overview).(Basic Information.2015). I live in passaic county and during my research I found in my area the superfund “Inmont Corporation Hawthorne plant” also known for “BASF” that is a former manufacturing site located on approximately 16 acres in southeastern Passaic County, New Jersey. In 1946, Inmont Corporation (a division of United Technologies Corporation [UTC]) purchased the site from the Borough of Hawthorne and developed manufacturing operations consisting of production of dyestuffs, dyestuff intermediates, pigment intermediates, specialty
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polymers and chemicals.(Inmont Corporation.2015). Due to numerous spills of the chemicals use for the productions of these products the organic chemical production was discontinued in 1967 and dyestuff production ceased in 1974. After 1974, operations consisted of manufacturing of pigments, aqueous dispersions, and flush bases. After this incidents the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) issued an Administrative Consent Order (ACO) in July 1985. (Basic Information.2015) .
During this time several threats and contaminants were found, such as chemical spills and leaks from storage tanks, transformers, drainage ditches, buried drums and pipes associated with the dye manufacturing contaminated the soil and groundwater. Soils contaminated with various organic chemicals remain in the Historical Fill Area along the eastern portion of the property. Also major contaminants such as Benzene, Styrene, Nitrobenzene, Trichlorobenzene and Dichlorobenzene were found during investigations done to the company.(CLU-IN | Databases.2015)
In order to solve the problem with the contaminations of the hazardous product found during investigations the inmost corporation conducted an extensive hydrogeologic investigation.
Such investigation noted that groundwater contamination is concentrated in the southern portion of the property (near the Passaic River). A groundwater extraction system has been in operation since June 1998 to control off-site migration of shallow groundwater to the Passaic River and remove contaminant mass. Once the extracted groundwater is treated to acceptable levels, it is put back into the ground on-site. (Inmont Corporation.2015). In addition, Inmont will continue to operate and maintain the groundwater treatment system. Over time, this system is expected to totally capture the contaminant plume in shallow groundwater. Due to the previous accidents the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) will periodically evaluate the system's performance and determine if the system needs improvements or anything has to be done to correct it. (Basic
Information.2015)
polymers and chemicals.(Inmont Corporation.2015). Due to numerous spills of the chemicals use for the productions of these products the organic chemical production was discontinued in 1967 and dyestuff production ceased in 1974. After 1974, operations consisted of manufacturing of pigments, aqueous dispersions, and flush bases. After this incidents the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) issued an Administrative Consent Order (ACO) in July 1985. (Basic Information.2015) .
During this time several threats and contaminants were found, such as chemical spills and leaks from storage tanks, transformers, drainage ditches, buried drums and pipes associated with the dye manufacturing contaminated the soil and groundwater. Soils contaminated with various organic chemicals remain in the Historical Fill Area along the eastern portion of the property. Also major contaminants such as Benzene, Styrene, Nitrobenzene, Trichlorobenzene and Dichlorobenzene were found during investigations done to the company.(CLU-IN | Databases.2015)
In order to solve the problem with the contaminations of the hazardous product found during investigations the inmost corporation conducted an extensive hydrogeologic investigation.
Such investigation noted that groundwater contamination is concentrated in the southern portion of the property (near the Passaic River). A groundwater extraction system has been in operation since June 1998 to control off-site migration of shallow groundwater to the Passaic River and remove contaminant mass. Once the extracted groundwater is treated to acceptable levels, it is put back into the ground on-site. (Inmont Corporation.2015). In addition, Inmont will continue to operate and maintain the groundwater treatment system. Over time, this system is expected to totally capture the contaminant plume in shallow groundwater. Due to the previous accidents the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) will periodically evaluate the system's performance and determine if the system needs improvements or anything has to be done to correct it. (Basic
Information.2015)