Cleanup Proposed At Newark Superfund Site; Feds Seek Feedback

NEWARK, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is requesting public comments on a plan to remove mercury-contaminated soil from land at the Pierson’s Creek Superfund Site in Newark, NJ. EPA will accept comments until December 12, 2022. Under the plan for which EPA is requesting comments, the property owner will remove about 7,500 cubic yards of contaminated soil from the Superfund site. EPA will oversee the work and be reimbursed for the cost of the oversight. This proposed removal is part of a larger effort by EPA to clean up the Pierson's Creek Superfund site in full.

“We look forward to input from the public on this proposed work to remove mercury-contaminated soil,” said Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “This cleanup will further EPA’s commitment to reducing hazardous waste and environmental impacts in Newark.”

The company, 429 Delancy Associates LLC, owns a portion of the Pierson's Creek Superfund site. A settlement agreement between EPA and the company required an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) report that evaluated several options for cleaning up the contaminated soil. One of the options in the EE/CA evaluated the removal of 7,500 cubic yards of mercury-contaminated soil to restore the property. 429 Delancy Associates LLC will perform the cleanup and reimburse EPA in full for costs incurred in overseeing this work. EPA is inviting the public to review and comment on the EE/CA report and the proposed cleanup.

The Pierson's Creek Superfund Site consists of the 1.5-mile creek and various unnamed tributaries which discharge to Newark Bay and various plots of land, which total over 6 acres, in an industrial area of Newark, New Jersey.

The public can visit the Pierson’s Creek Superfund Site profile page for additional background and to review the Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis document.

EPA will review and respond to comments and document its final cleanup decision before proceeding with the cleanup.

EPA will accept comments until December 12, 2022. Comments should be addressed to Pamela Tames, P.E., Remedial Project Manager, at tames.pam@epa.gov or via U.S. mail: Pamela Tames, P.E., EPA, 290 Broadway, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10007.

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