During flooding events this waste ran into the Lodi Brook and was carried downstream into other waterways, contaminating sediment and soils over a large area near the brook. Fortunately, the groundwater was not contaminated. Spread from the Lodi Brook was the primary way the contamination spread in the community, but some residents also used soil from the site as fill on their properties, which added to the contamination. This spread the contamination throughout acres of land and into 92 residential, governmental, and commercial properties. Since this waste contained radioactive thorium, a potential human carcinogen—this posed a threat to human health and the environment. The Army Corps is addressing the radioactive portions of the contamination under FUSRAP in collaboration with the EPA Region II, the New Jersey State Department of Environmental Protection, Contractor, Cabrera Services, Inc., and with stakeholders such as the Stepan Company, a current owner of a portion of the site that is responsible for removing the non-radioactive material from, in, and around its property. Radioactive material and soil are being remediated and potential groundwater contamination is being treated. All residential contaminated remediation has been completed. In addition, on the former Maywood Chemical Works site, the Army Corps safely removed radioactive soil, contaminated buildings, and metal drums that contained remnants of harmful solvents and degreasers. Presently, the Army Corps is removing contaminated soil from underneath highways and roads that include hard-to-reach areas around utilities, including beneath the streets in the Borough of Lodi. To date, over 830,130 cubic yards of contaminated soil and debris has been safely removed from the site. “This is equivalent to more than 11,000 railcars that we used to transport the material to landfills designed to safely contain these materials,” said John Canby, project engineer, New York District. He added, “Additionally, 135 million gallons of groundwater has been treated, which is equivalent to five oil supertankers.” The project is expected to be completed in three years and includes the restoration of the wetland that is the headwaters of the Lodi Brook that carried much of the contamination downstream and throughout the region. Throughout the project’s progress, public safety measures have been in place for the community. These measures include continuous air monitoring, disposing of contaminated material to approved off-site locations, decontaminating the trucks that are transporting waste material off the properties, dust suppression measures, and traffic controls. In addition, regular community meetings are held to keep the public informed about the progress of the project and to address their concerns.
Workers on the FUSRAP Maywood Superfund Site in New Jersey in February 2023. Credit: DeShawn Bowser, Public Affairs, New York District.
Work continues of the FUSRAP Maywood Superfund Site in New Jersey in February 2023. Credit: Nayelli Guerrero, Public Affairs, New York District.
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June 2023 csengineermag.com
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