EPA ANNOUNCES PROPOSED PLAN for Diamond Alkali Superfund Site Operable Unit 4

EPA is proposing a plan to address contaminated source sediment in the upper 9 miles of the Lower Passaic River Study Area (LPRSA) of the Diamond Alkali Superfund site. The plan identifies the preferred remedial alternative, or cleanup action. The LPRSA is Operable Unit 4 (OU4), the part that covers the entire Lower Passaic River. To review the Proposed Plan: click here

To review the April 2021 Community Update fact sheet in English: click here
To review the April 2021 Community Update fact sheet in Spanish: click here

EPA hosted a Virtual Public Meeting on the Proposed Plan on April 27, 2021. To review the meeting slides: click here

To review the Diamond Alkali OU 4 Administrative Record: click here

EPA Finalized Protectiveness Review of Cleanup at Diamond Alkali Superfund Site [December 2020]

EPA has completed the Fifth Five-Year Review of the Diamond Alkali Superfund Site located at 80 and 120 Lister Ave in Newark, NJ. This review confirmed that the cleanup conducted at the site, which included construction of flood and slurry walls, placement of an engineered cap, and pumping and treating of groundwater, protects public health and the environment and functions as intended by the site decision documents. EPA reviewed site operation, maintenance and monitoring information as well as the status of land use controls in making this determination.

What is an EPA Five-Year Review? EPA inspects Superfund sites every five years to ensure that cleanups conducted remain fully protective of human health and the environment. These regular reviews, which are required by federal law when contaminants remain at a site, include:

• Inspection of the site and cleanup technologies;
• Review of monitoring data, operating data, and maintenance records, and
• Determination if any new regulatory requirements have been established since EPA’s original cleanup decision was finalized.

If you have any questions about the 5-Year Review, please contact Eugenia Naranjo, EPA Project Manager, at naranjo.eugenia@epa.gov.

Final Remedial Investigation Report [July 2019]

The Remedial Investigation Report (RI) for the LPRSA characterizes the distribution of contaminants in sediment, surface water, and biota, their fate and transport, and the risks they pose to human and ecological receptors. Document links are available here.

EPA CSTAG Makes Recommendations on Upper 9 Mile Interim Action [June 2018]

EPA’s Contaminated Sediments Technical Advisory Group (CSTAG) made recommendations on a proposed Upper 9-Mile Interim Action following a meeting with EPA Region 2 and key stakeholders in March. Their comments and the Region 2 response are posted on the CSTAG web site (exiting ourPassaic.org), in the “Diamond Alkali – Lower Passaic River, Newark, New Jersey” section.

New Community Involvement Plan Finalized [August 2017]

The Community Involvement Plan for the Lower Passaic River has been revised to focus on upcoming work in the lower 8.3 miles of the Passaic River. The plan provides an overview of outreach tools and techniques that the EPA uses to share information and involve the public during the cleanup process. Please see the final plan here.

EPA Secures Agreement with Occidental Chemical to Conduct the Design Work for the Lower 8.3 Mile Cleanup [October 2016]

EPA announced a legal agreement with Occidental Chemical Corporation to perform design work needed to begin the cleanup of the lower 8.3 miles of the Lower Passaic River. This work, which includes sampling, evaluating technologies and doing the engineering work necessary before physical cleanup work can begin, will be done under EPA oversight. The design work is estimated to cost approximately $165 million. Occidental Chemical will also pay for EPA’s oversight costs. The press release is available here. The legal agreement is available here.

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