Bridgeport rental & oil services, logan township nj
The Bridgeport Rental and Oil Services Inc. (BROS) site is a 30-acre property in Logan Township, New Jersey. The site was utilized as an oil storage and recovery facility from 1960 to 1981. Mismanagement of waste oil and other fluids lead to the contamination of soils and groundwater at the site. Originally, the property consisted of a 100-vessell tank farm (~100 tanks and process vessels, drums, tank trucks) and a 13-acre waste oil/water lagoon. The initial estimates indicated that the lagoon contained about 2.5 million gallons of oil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 80,000 cubic yards of PCB-contaminated sediments and sludge, and 70 million gallons of contaminated wastewater. Groundwater that lies under the site as well as 6,000 feet from the lagoon have been contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs). (USEPA, 2018). In 1977. a welder’s torch ignited an accumulation of chemicals at the waste storage facility, causing an explosion that killed six people, bringing national attention to BROS. Environmental advocates, policy analysts, and historians see events like this one as an inspiration to federal Superfund legislation. Several times the lagoon threatened to breach its dike. In the 1970s the lagoon did breach its dike, causing widespread vegetative damage to a 3-acre adjacent private wetland property. In 1983 Bridgeport Rental & Oil Services was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL). The first phase of remediation and clean-up was authorized by the EPA in 1984. (Environmental Resource Inventory, 2004). As of September 2018, the site has not achieved construction completion.
bridgeport rental & oil service 1986, taken by david hanson
interviews/Media articles
E.P.A. Admits Not Pressing For Toxic Lagoon Cleanup
By Ralph Blumenthal April 7, 1983 "The Federal Environmental Protection Agency has acknoledged that it failed for two years to pursue information that could have forced several corporations to finance a multimillion-dollar cleanup of a vast toxic lagoon in souther New Jersey, referring to BROs. Later going on to explain that the site was ranked 50 on a list of 418 most dangerous hazardous waste sites in the US by the EPA. "In 1981 the E.P.A. was given a list of companies that used the tanks at the New Jersey site. But the list was never followed up." They go on to discuss Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) and the possible costs of remediation. U.S Charges 7 Firms Over $29 Million to Clean Waste Site
July 1992 This article discusses how the EPA, on behalf of the Justice Department filed suit to recover $29 million from companies for the contamination of Bridgeport Rental and Oils Services. The EPA alleged that seven companies are responsible for contamination at BROS. Including, Allied-Signal Inc., Atlantic City Electric Co., Du Pont Co., International Flavors & Fragrances Inc., Monsanto Co., Rohm & Haas Co., and Rollins Environmental Services Inc.. |
JERSEY TO START CLEANING UP ITS WORSE TOXIC WASTE SITES
Joseph F Sullivan Feb. 1983 New Jersey officials announced a program to clean up major hazardous waste dumps. This program is estimated to cost $197 million could grow to $500 million before its completed. Jack Stanton (the then director of the State Division of Waste Management) is quoted told the Times, "I feel confident in predicting you will no longer see the type of illegal waste-dumping in 1983 and beyond that has occurred in the past." BROs is listed as one of the top 10 sites on the major hazardous-waste clean up list that are the subjects of ongoing feasibility studies and scheduled for early bidding. ELECTION '84 Issue: The Environment
by Dale Russakoff Oct. 14, 1984 This article discusses how in New Jersey the issue of the environment was very important in the upcoming presidential election. The article refers to the Bridgeport Rental and Oil Services site as "New Jersey's most infamous toxic dump". One of the residents that's water was compromised due to the toxic leakage from the site, Jane Cahill, is quoted saying, "Everybody says they're going to clean up that rotten dump, but it has been here through Democrats and Republicans. Why should I believe one man is going to make a difference? These are human beings here who are being killed -- slowly. It's like Russian roulette." expressing her discontent with the standing of the Superfund site. |
location and ownership
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Bridgeport Rental and Oil Services Inc. Superfund site is located in Logan Township New Jersey, about a mile east of Bridgeport New Jersey. Logan Township is in southwest New Jersey, about two miles south of Delaware River. On its western edge the site borders an active, as of 1995, peach orchard. It’s norther border is located on Cedar Swamp Road, where Route 130 and Interstate 295 diverge. On the eastern side of the site is a swampy area that leads to Little Timber Creek. Adjacent to the lagoon, on the south and south west sides of the site, are two ‘man-made’ ponds. Which were excavated by a sand and gravel mining operation from the 1940’s to the 1970s. The property had been a toxic dump site since the 1940s, as examination of aerial photos revealed. (EPA Superfund ROD, 1984). Storage of waste-oil and recovery operation date back to the early 1960s. In 1969, BROS established as a storage and recovery facility for waste-oil and a tank leasing business on the property. Commercial use of the site was discontinued by Bridgeport Rental and Oil Services in 1979. Bridgeport Rental and Oils Services Inc. have been the owners of the site since 1969 (History of Ground-water Contamination, 1990).
Bridgeport Rental & Oil Services Superfund site during and after remediation.
site discovery/preliminary assessment
The property is known to have been used as a toxic dumping site since the 1940s but, the major levels of pollution, contamination of groundwater and surface soils was strongly influenced by the establishment of the oil reprocessing facility in 1959. The mismanagement of large amounts of waste oil and other fluids occurred for about twenty years. The lagoon was utilized for waste disposal from the 1960s to 1981. Once the oil operation was closed in 1980 the site contained a 13-acre waste oil lagoon, more than 100 storage tanks and process vessels interconnected by miles of piping, seven concrete-block-and-steel buildings, a number of abandoned vehicles and a large quantity of discarded drums and other debris (Work for Others). The groundwater in the top two aquifers has been impacted significantly by the contaminated lagoon, adjacent wetlands have also been contaminated from the spills and leaks of waste materials from the lagoon.
In the early 1970s, the eastern dike of the lagoon was breached, causing 3 acres of adjacent wetland to experience widespread vegetative damage. The area was covered with a layer of PCB contaminated oil. From the early 1970s to 1975 the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) ordered BROS to treat the oil phase of the lagoon but the treatment was discontinued because it was inadequate and wastewater of unacceptable quality was being discharged into Little Timber Creek (History of Ground-water Contamination, 1990). In 1977, a welder’s torch caused a large explosion after lighting an accumulation of chemicals at the waste storage facility. The fire lasted more than 10 hours, 6 people died and 35 were hospitalized by the exploding storage cylinders that flew hundreds of feet into the air (Environmental Resource Inventory, 2004). In 1981 the lagoon’s level rose, threatening to overflow the dike again, so the U.S Coast Guard increased the height of the dike by 5 feet. Again, in 1982 and 1983 the liquid threatened to overflow the dike so, the EPA began emergency response actions. In 1983 the Bridgeport Rental & Oils Services site was placed on the National Priorities List and the first phase of remediation and clean up began in 1984. (Environmental Resource Inventory, 2004)
In the early 1970s, the eastern dike of the lagoon was breached, causing 3 acres of adjacent wetland to experience widespread vegetative damage. The area was covered with a layer of PCB contaminated oil. From the early 1970s to 1975 the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) ordered BROS to treat the oil phase of the lagoon but the treatment was discontinued because it was inadequate and wastewater of unacceptable quality was being discharged into Little Timber Creek (History of Ground-water Contamination, 1990). In 1977, a welder’s torch caused a large explosion after lighting an accumulation of chemicals at the waste storage facility. The fire lasted more than 10 hours, 6 people died and 35 were hospitalized by the exploding storage cylinders that flew hundreds of feet into the air (Environmental Resource Inventory, 2004). In 1981 the lagoon’s level rose, threatening to overflow the dike again, so the U.S Coast Guard increased the height of the dike by 5 feet. Again, in 1982 and 1983 the liquid threatened to overflow the dike so, the EPA began emergency response actions. In 1983 the Bridgeport Rental & Oils Services site was placed on the National Priorities List and the first phase of remediation and clean up began in 1984. (Environmental Resource Inventory, 2004)
contamination
The mismanagement of waste oils, etc. lead to the contamination of groundwater and surface soils at the BROS site. Another Superfund site, Chemical Leaman Tank Lines Inc., is located near the BROS site and may also contribute to the ground water contamination found there. The initial assessment indicated that the lagoon contained 2.5 million gallons of oil contaminated with PCBs, 80,000 cubic yards of PCB contaminated sediments/sludge and 70 million gallons of contaminated wastewater. The groundwater under the site and groundwater extending about 6,000 feet from the lagoon were contaminated with volatile organic compounds (Five Year Review, 2018). The contaminants found in the top two aquifers on the BROS site include, among others, volatile organic compounds (VOCs): methylene chloride, trichloroethylene, benzene and vinyl chloride; semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs): bis (2-chloroethyl) ether; metals: lead and chromium; and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The liquid in the lagoon was divided into three phases, an oily top layer with drums, trash and other floating debris, an aqueous layer and layer of sludge/sediment on the bottom. At one point the lagoon was 25 feet deep and about 13 feet of the lagoon was in contact with ground water. (Public Health Assessment, 1995). When the lagoon breached its dike in the 1970s it resulted in the contamination of 3 acres of wetland and potentially introduced PCBs to the wetland ecosystem. Contamination of drinking water wells near the BROS site, identified in the early 1980s, lead to the USEPA supplying alternative water supply to 33 affected residents. The extension of the public water supply pipeline in 1987 allowed for those residents to have a permanent water supply (Public Health Assessment, 1995).
npl listing and prps
In 1983 the BROs site was placed on the National Priorities List. In 1996 the USEPA, aided by the U.S. Department of Justice and the State of New Jersey, reached a settlement with 90 companies and governmental agencies that contributed waste to the BROS site. They will pay more than $221.5 million to help cover clean-up costs (Environmental Resource Inventory, 2004).
remediation investigations / feasibility study
After being placed on the NPL in 1983 a Phase 1 Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) was conducted in 1983 and 1984. The results of the Phase 1 RI/FS indicated the significant contamination of the BROS site. Three distinct sources of potential contamination were identified, the tank farm area, the lagoon and the groundwater. The lagoon posed the most serious threat to human health and the environment. The 3-acre area that was flooded resulting from lagoon overflowing in the 1970s represents a potential source for the introduction of PCBs into the surrounding wetland ecosystem. The underlying aquifer was used for potable water and the lagoon wastes were in contact with it (First Five-Year Review Report, 2018).
In 1988 the second phase was initiated by the EPA to determine the extent of groundwater contamination. The phase 2 RI/FS determined that the groundwater contained VOCs (trichloroethylene, BTEX, methylene chloride) and SVOCs (Bis ether). The lagoon sediments and sludge contained organic contaminants (benzene, PCBs, metals). The tanks contained a wide range of organic contaminants and metals. Free and residual light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) contamination occurred in the subsurface and contained varying amounts of site-related compounds. PCB-laden residues were found in surface water. The human health risk assessment conducted concluded that unacceptable risks were present. An ecological risk assessment observed potential adverse effects to benthic organisms and other ecological receptors throughout the food chain from exposure to PCBs and metals. (First Five-Year Report, 2018)
In 1988 the second phase was initiated by the EPA to determine the extent of groundwater contamination. The phase 2 RI/FS determined that the groundwater contained VOCs (trichloroethylene, BTEX, methylene chloride) and SVOCs (Bis ether). The lagoon sediments and sludge contained organic contaminants (benzene, PCBs, metals). The tanks contained a wide range of organic contaminants and metals. Free and residual light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) contamination occurred in the subsurface and contained varying amounts of site-related compounds. PCB-laden residues were found in surface water. The human health risk assessment conducted concluded that unacceptable risks were present. An ecological risk assessment observed potential adverse effects to benthic organisms and other ecological receptors throughout the food chain from exposure to PCBs and metals. (First Five-Year Report, 2018)
records of decision
The Record of Decision (ROD) for the Phase 1 or OU1 remedy for the site was issued by the EPA in 1984. Through this ROD remedies were selected for the waste lagoon, tank farm, potentially contaminated residential wells and included a phase 2 remedial investigation to determine how to clean-up the ground water and wetlands.
Under the 1984 ROD the following actions were taken:
A group of about 90 PRPs entered a settlement arrangement to complete the clean-up of the BROS site under the direction of the EPA. In 2006 the Phase 2 RI/FS or OU2 remedy for the site was issued. An adaptive phased management approach was considered appropriate to achieve the health and ecological risk management goals. Meaning that this approach would ensure protection of human health throughout the remedial process by reducing the mobility of chemicals of concern (COC) from the threat areas through their removal, destruction or containment.
The remedial action objectives for OU2, categorized by site media, are as follows:
Shallow/Deep Groundwater:
Under the 1984 ROD the following actions were taken:
- Removal of oily waste and contaminated sludge from the lagoon and treatment of that waste via on-site incineration.
- Excavation and disposal of drums.
- Continued pumping of aqueous waste from the lagoon to prevent the further spread of contaminated groundwater.
- The removal of all tanks and contained waste.
- The installation of a public water supply to homes with contaminated or threatened wells.
A group of about 90 PRPs entered a settlement arrangement to complete the clean-up of the BROS site under the direction of the EPA. In 2006 the Phase 2 RI/FS or OU2 remedy for the site was issued. An adaptive phased management approach was considered appropriate to achieve the health and ecological risk management goals. Meaning that this approach would ensure protection of human health throughout the remedial process by reducing the mobility of chemicals of concern (COC) from the threat areas through their removal, destruction or containment.
The remedial action objectives for OU2, categorized by site media, are as follows:
Shallow/Deep Groundwater:
- Reduce/eliminate ingestion/direct contact with VOCs, SVOCs and metals in groundwater above the federal maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) & NJ groundwater quality standards. Restore groundwater that is off site to expected beneficial use as potable drinking water.
- Reduce/eliminate vapor intrusion from VOCs, SVOCs and PCBs in groundwater above acceptable site-specific, risk-based levels.
- Reduce/eliminate direct contact with VOCs, SVOCs, LNAPLs, PCBs and metals in groundwater above acceptable levels to the public, construction workers and utility workers.
- Reduce or eliminate vapor intrusion and inhalation from adsorbed VOCs, SVOCs and PCBs in the soil above acceptable site-specific, risk-based levels.
- Reduce or eliminate the migration to groundwater of the adsorbed VOCs in the soil above acceptable site-specific, risk-based levels.
- Reduce or eliminate direct contact with adsorbed VOCs, SVOCs, LNAPLs PCBs and metals in soil above acceptable site-specific, risk-based levels to the public, construction workers, and utility workers.
- Reduce or eliminate the uptake of adsorbed VOCs, SVOCs and metals into the soil and into crops off-property.
- Reduce or eliminate impacts from contact with contaminated soils to ecological receptors, including
- food web effects.
- Consistent with ARARs, remove LNAPL and contain residuals, to the extent practicable.
- Reduce or eliminate ingestion or direct contact with residual LNAPL and PCBs greater than 50ppm and reduce exposure to other chemical constituents exceeding the severe effects level concentrations in hydric soils and sediments in the DeManifestis Zone in LTCS II and III.
- Reduce or eliminate exposure to constituents exceeding the severe effects level concentrations in the intermediate zone.