Superfund Program U.S. Environmental Protection Community Update Agency, Region 2 Cornell-Dubilier Electronics Site September 2007 EPA CONSTRUCTION PLAN The purpose of this document is to provide the community with information regarding the status of remedial activities and the upcoming excavation activities at the Cornell-Dubilier Electronics (CDE) Superfund site located in South Plainfield, New Jersey. In addition, EPA will hold a public information meeting to explain the information detailed below and respond to questions. Pursuant to EPA's 2004 Record of Decision (ROD), EPA will begin construction activities in October 2007 to address buried capacitors, designated as the capacitor disposal area at the former CDE facility, also known as the Hamilton Industrial Park. The ROD calls for the excavation, transportation and off-site disposal of approximately 7,500 cubic yards of capacitor debris at the industrial park. The debris in this area is contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). EPA is using the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as its construction manager for this work. EPA and the Corps have contracted with Sevenson Environmental Services, Inc. of Niagara Falls, New York, to perform the work. SITE HISTORY The former CDE facility, located at 333 Hamilton Blvd., South Plainfield, New Jersey, consists of approximately 26 acres and contained 18 buildings. EPA is currently in the process of demolishing the 18 buildings at the industrial park. CDE operated at the facility from 1936 to 1962, manufacturing electronic components including, in particular, capacitors. PCBs and chlorinated solvents were used in the manufacturing process, and the company apparently disposed of PCB-contaminated materials and other hazardous substances directly on the facility soils. CDE's activities evidently led to widespread chemical contamination at the facility, as well as migration of contaminants to areas nearby the facility. PCBs have been detected in the groundwater, soils and in building interiors at the industrial park at adjacent residential, commercial, and municipal properties, and in surface MARK YOUR CALENDARS Public Information Session: Thursday, September 20, 2007, at 7:00 PM U.S. EPA will hold an information meeting to explain the status of remedial activities at the CDE site, and the upcoming excavation of the capacitor disposal area. EPA representatives will be available at Borough Hall, 2480 Plainfield Avenue, South Plainfield, New Jersey between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. For more information, see the Administrative Record at the following locations: U.S. EPA Records Center, Region 2 290 Broadway, 18th Floor. New York, New York 10007-1866 (212)-637-3261 Hours: Monday-Friday - 9 am to 5 pm South Plainfield Library 2484 Plainfield Avenue South Plainfield, New Jersey 07080 (908) 754-7885 Hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday -10 am to 9 pm Tuesday and Friday -10 am to 6 pm Saturday - 9 am to 5 pm Sunday -1:30 pm to 5 pm water and sediments of the Bound Brook. Since CDE's departure from the facility in 1962, it has been operated as a rental property, with numerous commercial and industrial companies operating at the facility as tenants. EPA has completed the remedial design for the excavation of the capacitor disposal area at the industrial park. The remedial design provides specifications that must be sustained throughout the excavation. The remedial design for the remaining soil cleanup at the industrial park is anticipated to be completed in the spring of 2008. The investigations of the contaminated groundwater and the sediments of the Bound Brook are ongoing. In 1997, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection issued a fish consumption advisory for the Bound Brook New Market Pond, and Spring Lake. This advisory is still in place. Fish caught from these water bodies should not be eaten. ------- EPA has already begun the cleanup of residential, commercial, and municipal properties adjacent to the facility. PCB contaminated soil and interior dust have been removed from nineteen properties near the former CDE facility. For more detailed information about the site, on-going investigations and the cleanup, EPA maintains information repositories at the locations listed in the box on the previous page or please feel free to access our web site at www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/cornell. CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES Demolition and Excavation Activities: EPA mobilized to the former CDE facility in early December 2006 and began the demolition of the first structure in January 2007. Each structure at the industrial park is being demolished from the roof down using a backhoe with a grapple attachment, leaving the contaminated walls undisturbed so that they do not get co-mingled with non-hazardous debris. Areas containing PCB materials will be delineated by use of paint flagging and materials containing PCBs will be the initial materials demolished. To date, 10 of the 18 buildings have been demolished. In October 2007, EPA will begin excavating capacitor debris and soils from an area in the undeveloped portion of the facility, identified as the capacitor disposal area. The following is a brief description of what will occur during our construction. Prior to the commencement of any construction activities, site control measures will be implemented to establish work zones. Security fencing will be installed around the work zones. Storm sewers and catch basins located in the vicinity of the work zone will be covered with a geotextile membrane and surrounded by hay bales to protect against migrating sediment. Where applicable, silt fence will be installed surrounding the work zone to prevent the movement of soils during demolition and excavation efforts. In the undeveloped portion of the former CDE facility, an area consisting of approximately 32,000 square feet will be excavated to a depth of approximately five feet to remove capacitors, debris, and PCB contaminated soil. Once this material has been removed, EPA will sample the remaining soils to determine if the cleanup objectives in this area have been met. Additional contaminated soil will be removed if the sampling reveals that the cleanup objectives identified in the ROD have not been met. Site Security; Throughout the construction process site security is maintained to keep unauthorized people out of areas where work is ongoing. In addition to the existing fencing, a guard booth has been installed and security guards will be at the site overnight. Health and Safety: EPA has developed a comprehensive Health and Safety (H&S) program specifically for the construction activities at the former CDE facility. The H&S program is developed for the protection of the community as well as the on-site workers. The complete H&S document can be viewed at the information repositories. As part of EPA's H&S program, EPA establishes action levels, health-based concentrations or levels designated for specific site contaminants. They are concentrations that are set prior to the demolition of any building and the excavation of debris and soils and are not to be exceeded at any time during construction. In the case of the building demolition and the excavation activities at the former CDE facility, the action levels pertain to the emissions of dust or air concentrations of site specific contaminants. The construction practices to be employed at the industrial park will minimize the potential for dust generation, and a comprehensive air monitoring program will provide necessary safeguards to ensure that contaminants do not leave the site. EPA will establish lines of communication to local officials to keep them up-to-date with EPA's air monitoring program, as well as other health and safety measures. The objectives of air monitoring are to ensure that the dust suppression operations function as designed, action levels are not exceeded, and the public and workers are protected at all times. Air monitoring is accomplished via on-site analytical air sampling devices. Air monitoring will measure for dust concentrations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. EPA will establish air monitoring stations at the locations immediately surrounding the buildings being demolished, the capacitor disposal area, and around the perimeter of the industrial park. Should dust action levels be exceeded during construction, EPA will immediately detect such an exceedance and take corrective action. Therefore, there will be several layers of air monitoring equipment protecting the community. 2 ------- Dust Suppression: Dust suppression is a crucial operation within EPA's construction operation. Dust suppression methods prevent dust particles or soil from spreading off-site, via the air and wind, to prevent exceedances of EPA's established action levels. Dust suppression is accomplished through a number of techniques, such as: ¦ providing for a misting spray during demolition and excavation activities; ¦ applying water on and sweeping haul roads; ¦ wetting and misting equipment, structures, and excavation areas; ¦ spraying mist on buckets during material handling and dumping; ¦ placing polyethylene on the ground surface where trucks are loaded; ¦ requiring that material loaded into trucks are not dropped from heights above the truck body; ¦ hauling materials in properly tarped containers; ¦ covering stockpiled materials; ¦ reducing the active work area surface and limiting the number of concurrent operations; and ¦ regular washing of construction equipment. soils off-site by train. The remedial design for the remaining soil remedial action is anticipated to be completed in the spring of 2008. Contaminated debris and soil will be shipped off site for disposal in an approved hazardous waste or non- hazardous waste landfill, depending upon the contaminant levels in each load. Debris and soil categorized as a hazardous waste will go to a RCRA Subtitle C landfill, which is a landfill specifically designed for disposal of hazardous waste, with liners and other mechanisms to prevent the migration of waste from them. The State of New Jersey does not maintain any commercial Subtitle C landfills, so all hazardous material will be transported out of state. Debris and soil containing PCBs at concentrations greater than 50 parts per million (ppm) will go to a Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) landfill, which is a landfill specifically designed and permitted to store PCB contaminated material. Debris and soil categorized as non-hazardous waste will go to a RCRA Subtitle D landfill, which is a landfill designed for disposal of non-hazardous waste. Restoration; Water usage will be monitored to prevent ponding and runoff. Water used to decontaminate equipment will be collected in a tank, sampled to determine hazardous characteristics, and disposed of accordingly. Disposal: Care will be utilized while segregating and stockpiling hazardous and non-hazardous materials. The stockpiles will be tarped and dust suppression techniques will be employed. A backhoe will be used to load the segregated material for transportation and disposal to the appropriate off-site disposal facilities. The building debris will be transported off-site to approved landfills via truck. Capacitor debris will be transported off-site via truck to a transfer station and placed on rail cars for transportation to approved landfills. All trucks leaving the industrial park will be properly covered. Trucks will also be used to transport backfill into the industrial park. Trucks will enter and exit the site via Hamilton Boulevard. EPA anticipates up to 40 trucks per day during peak times. As part of the soil remedial action, EPA is currently in the process of designing a rail spur that will be constructed at the industrial park. The constmction of a rail spur will allow for the transportation of contaminated After each building is demolished and the debris has been removed, the area will be graded with dense aggregate material followed by the placement of bituminous pavement. This asphalt is being installed as a temporary measure until EPA completes the soil remedy pursuant to the 2004 Record of Decision. After excavation of the capacitor disposal area is complete, the area will be backfilled, followed by the placement of temporary bituminous pavement. COMMUNITY CONTACT WITH EPA EPA's Remedial Project Manager will be on-site frequently, and the members of the community should feel free to contact him to ask questions or discuss any issues. EPA will also issue periodic updates to the community informing them of the progress at the CDE site. 3 For further information on the CDE site, please contact: Peter Mannino Pat Seppi Remedial Project Community Involvement Manager Coordinator (212)637-4395 (212)637-3679 U.S. EPA 290 Broadway 19th Floor. New York, New York 10007-1866 ------- |