Environmental Pollutants
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EPA History of DuPont Contamination in Pompton Lakes.
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Description of Dupont Contamination in Pompton Lakes, NJ
E.I. DuPont De Nemours & Company is located at 2000 Cannonball Road in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey. The DuPont Pompton Lakes Works site occupies approximately 630 acres of land in Pompton Lakes and Wanaque.
Two parallel valleys (Wanaque River and Acid Brook) run through the site north to south. Land use in the vicinity of the site is predominantly residential and commercial, but also includes undeveloped areas, an interstate highway (Route 287) and state-owned forest.
DuPont conducted operations at the site from 1902 to April 1994, when the facility closed. DuPont manufactured lead azide, aluminum, or bronze shelled blasting caps and operated processes producing metal wires and aluminum and copper shells. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) order and an EPA permit require cleanup of the facility.
Potential Threats and Contaminants
The manuafacturing operations and waste management practices throughout the site resulted in contamination in soils, sediments and groundwater. The environmental threat at the site is the possibility of human contact with contaminated soil, sediments or groundwater -- both on-site and off-site. The primary contaminants in the soil and sediments are lead and mercury.
The contaminants in the groundwater are chlorinated volatile organics, such as tetrachloro-ethylene, trichloroethylene, cis 1,2-dichloroethylene, and vinyl chloride. Because a substantial amount of lead and mercury migrated off the site, soil was contaminated at approximately 140 homes near Acid Brook, which drains the eastern valley and discharges into Pompton Lakes.
Sediments in Acid Brook and Pompton Lakes are also contaminated. Groundwater contamination migrated off-site from the eastern valley facility towards Pompton Lakes. Soil and sediment contamination also occurred off-site along the Wanaque River, which flows through the western valley, where operations ceased in the 1920's.
Cleanup Approach and Progress
All hazardous waste units were closed. Due to the substantial off-site soil and sediment contamination along Acid Brook and Wanaque River, remedial actions have been focused on investigating and cleaning up the areas. All soil contamination at off-site properties near Acid Brook were cleaned up. The on-site portions of the Acid Brook and its banks were also cleaned up. Contaminated soil at residential and public properties along the Wanaque River is currently being cleaned up. Contaminated soil in upland portions of the delta where Acid Brook meets Pompton Lake were excavated and sent off-site for disposal, as was soil from along the Wanaque River on-site where hazardous wastes were found.
In 1998, DuPont installed a system along the southeast boundary line to pump contaminated groundwater and to treat it. After treatment, the water is discharged back to the ground. The groundwater is being monitored to assess the effectiveness of the system.
Investigation of the on-site portions of this facility still needs to be performed. The investigation will be done in phases due to the size of the facility and the need to prioritize redevelopment of certain portions of the former operating area. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) will restrict any uses of the property that may be a threat to people. The groundwater pumping and monitoring systems will continue. NJDEP will also impose restrictions on the use of groundwater for as long as it remains contaminated.
If you and your family have been affected by contamination in Pompton Lakes, please contact the environmental lawyers at Weitz & Luxenberg P.C. using the form below.
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