ATLANTIC RESOURCES NEW JERSEY EPA ID# NJD981558430 EPA REGION 2 CONGRESSIONAL DIST 6 Middlesex County Sayreville Site Description The Atlantic Resources site is a 5-acre property located in Sayreville, New Jersey, near the Raritan River. The Atlantic Resources Corporation facility was a precious metals recovery operation. Gold and silver were recovered by incineration and smelting, or acid etching, from fly ash, x-ray and photographic film, circuit boards, building material and other waste materials. VOCs were also accepted for use as fuel in the incinerators. The Atlantic Resource site first came to EPA's attention in 1981, when a brush fire at the adjoining Horseshoe Road site exposed approximately 70 partially filled drums containing acetonitrile, silver cyanide and ethyl acetate. The Atlantic Resources Corporation owned and operated the facility from 1972 until it filed for bankruptcy in 1985. Operations at the site go back to the late 30s, as indicated by historical aerial photography. The Atlantic Resources site is located on Horseshoe Road, adjacent to the Horseshoe Road Superfund site. Because the Horseshoe Road and Atlantic Resources sites are adjacent and much of their contamination is commingled, EPA conducted a remedial investigation that addressed both sites. Furthermore, materials found on a portion the Horseshoe Road Site indicate that it was used for disposal by operators of Atlantic Resources. The area around the site includes residential properties, and contains business, commercial, and industrial areas as well. About 63 residential properties are located within '/S mile of the site, and about 14,000 people obtain drinking water from public wells within 4 miles of the site. The site is being addressed through Federal, State, and Responsible Party actions. NPL LISTING HISTORY Proposed Date: 09/25/01 Listing Date: Pending Atlantic Resources ------- Threats and Contaminants In 1989, the EPA analyzed the site soils and found that the soils contained volatile organic / \ compounds (VOCs), semi-VOCs, base-neutral compounds, heavy metals, pesticides, dioxin and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The sediments and surface water on-site are contaminated with VOCs, heavy metals and pesticides. The site contains wetland areas, and there are additional off-site wetlands that have been contaminated by the site. People who come in contact with or ingest contaminated soils, or sediments may face a health risk. Cleanup Approach This site is being addressed in stages: initial actions and several long-term remedial phase focusing on a cleanup of the entire site. Response Action Status Initial Actions: In March 1987, EPA used Superfund emergency funds to perform a removal action at the Atlantic Resources Site. EPA removed acids from leaking vats, cleaned up mercury spills, and segregated for off-site disposal, hazardous substances found on-site. Hazardous substances disposed of off-site included 152 drums, 5,550 gallons of combustible liquids, 70 pounds of Mercury, 520 cubic yards of contaminated debris, and 15 gas cylinders. In 1996 and 1999, EPA performed further removal activities, including the posting of warning signs and removal of ash contaminated with dioxin and metals, as well as surface debris. r*v Entire Site: In July 1997, EPA initiated a remedial investigation that included both sites to determine the nature and extent of contamination remaining. The final remedial investigation report was submitted in May 1999, and the Baseline Human Health Risk Assessment was completed in October 1999. Based on these documents, EPA determined that some additional data was needed to determine the extent of the site's impacts to the marsh and river. In addition, EPA determined that removing the buildings was a necessary first step toward addressing the sites. In September 1999, a Focused Feasibility Study was completed, and a Proposed Plan that recommended demolishing the buildings was presented to the public in December of that year. EPA issued a Record of Decision in September 2000. The demolition of the buildings on the Atlantic Development property was completed in April 2001, EPA has signed agreements with the Potentially Responsible Parties to demolish the Atlantic Resources Buildings. Once their work plans are approved demolition should begin in the summer of 2002 . A Proposed Plan to address the site soils and ground water (Operable Unit 2), is planned for the summer of 2002. Site Facts: In 1995 EPA placed the Horseshoe Road site, which included the Atlantic Resource Atlantic Resources 2 May 2002 ------- Facility, on the National Priorities List (NPL). In response to a lawsuit by the Potentially Responsible Parties for the Atlantic Resources portion of the site, EPA separated the Atlantic Resource area from the NPL listing. After completion of the joint remedial investigation, EPA concluded that the Atlantic Resources area should be proposed as a separate NPL site. The NPL site proposal was made on September 25, 2001. EPA cleaned up dioxin and mercury spills, emptied and disposed of materials found in numerous tanks and vats throughout the site, and excavated and disposed of contaminated soils and debris. EPA has selected a remedy for the buildings, on-site structures and other surface debris as the first phase of the Site cleanup. The Potentially Responsible Parties are expected to start this phase of the cleanup in early 2002,with EPA supervision. Final remedies for the second and third phases will address site soils, ground-water , and sediments in the marsh and river. Atlantic Resources 3 May 2002 (Threat Mitigated by Physical Cleanup Work) ------- |