U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is ordering Occidental Chemical Corporation to design a cleanup plan for the upper nine miles of the Lower Passaic River at the Diamond Alkali Superfund Site in New Jersey.
Occidental Chemical Corp (OxyChem) will prepare work plans and conduct the preliminary investigation, according to a March 2 news release. This will include identifying contamination boundaries and doing studies to assess the river bottom, shoreline and more in preparation for the cleanup.
"Under this order, OxyChem will perform the engineering work needed before the actual cleanup work can begin," EPA Regional Administrator Lisa Garcia said in the release.
EPA will monitor the work closely to restore the river for the communities along its banks, the release reported. The cleanup plan is an interim action, meaning that the EPA will evaluate the results and may determine that further work is necessary to address remaining contamination.
The Diamond Alkali Superfund site covers the lower 17 miles of the Passaic River, according to the release. The majority of the contaminated sediment is in the lower 8.3 miles. However, the contamination in the upper nine miles still impacts the river's ecosystem and surrounding communities.
OxyChem will design the cleanup plan for the lower portion and perform the upper nine-mile design, the release said. The final design report will include sitewide monitoring plans, health and safety plans and provide a detailed outline of the cleanup plan.
The cleanup plan includes capping and dredging contaminated sediment, evaluating areas where sediments can be dredged and processing dredged materials at one or more nearby sediment processing facilities, the release reported. OxyChem will also restrict activities in the river to protect the cap and the continuation of New Jersey's existing prohibitions on fish and crab consumption.
The Diamond Alkali Superfund site is divided into four operable units, with this order covering design work for cleanup of the upper nine miles of unit four in the Lower Passaic River study area, according to the release.
