USACE achieves major milestone at Superfund site

Engineer: The Professional Bulletin for Army Engineers, April-June, 2007 by Eugene R. Urbanik

In February, the United States Army Corps of Engineers[R] (USACE) New York District achieved a major milestone when it began the demolition of the industrial park facility at the Cornell-Dubilier Electronics Superfund (1) site.

From 1936 to 1962, Cornell-Dubilier Electronics, Incorporated, manufactured electronic parts and components in South Plainfield, New Jersey. It is alleged that during its operations, the company dumped polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB)-contaminated materials and other hazardous substances directly onto site soils. Since then, numerous companies have operated at the site as tenants. It is estimated that 8,700 residents live within one mile, more than 500 live within a quarter mile, and some live less than 200 feet from the site.

The New Jersey State Department of Environmental Protection recognized the magnitude of the problem and requested assistance from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA's Region II conducted soil borings at the site and surrounding properties. The soil at the site is contaminated with volatile organic compounds and PCBs. Also, building interiors at the site contain elevated levels of PCBs and metals that are probable human carcinogens (substances known or suspected to cause cancer). Contamination was extensive and uncontrolled--impacting sediment, soil, and groundwater and posing potential health risks to residents and tenants. The EPA requested assistance from USACE to clean up the site.

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The magnitude and nature of the clean-up project provided an opportunity for a team to be assembled with specialists from three USACE districts and two divisions. Personnel from each district play a critical role in the project. The New York District leads the remedial action phase by managing a cost-reimbursable contract for the residential property work and a fixed-price contract for the demolition of the current industrial park that is located at the site of the former Cornell-Dubilier Electronics facility. The Environmental Residency of the New Jersey Area Office is managing on-site construction activities; the Baltimore District is managing key commercial real estate relocation services; and the Kansas City District is responsible for remedial design and technical assistance.

Current work includes demolition and environmental abatement of 18 industrial buildings, transporting contaminated material to disposal facilities, and soil removal at four residential homes. Extensive safety procedures are in place to protect the health of residents in and near the site. Future work includes a railroad spur installation to reduce transportation and disposal costs, on-site soil treatment of the industrial park materials, the investigation of 59 additional residential properties, and wetlands and groundwater investigation.

The project, which has several more phases before completion, is expected to cost more than $80 million. The industrial park soil remediation will begin after the demolition is completed in 18 months, and the overall project is expected to be completed by 2011.

Mr. Urbanik, the New Jersey Area Engineer, is a licensed professional engineer and professional planner in the state of New Jersey. A retired Army Reserve lieutenant colonel, he is a graduate of the Command and General Staff College and holds a bachelor's in civil engineering from Rutgers College of Engineering.

Endnote

(1) The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), referred to as Superfund, authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency to respond to releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances that may threaten public health or the environment. Superfund sites are the nation's worst toxic waste sites.

By Mr. Eugene R. Urbanik