EPA Finalizes Plan to Clean Up Contaminated Sediment and Surface Water at Quanta Resources Superfund Site in Edgewater, NJ

Sep 27, 2024

Edgewater, N.J. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized its cleanup plan to address contaminated sediment and surface water at the Quanta Resources Superfund site in Edgewater, N.J. The release of the final cleanup plan follows an extensive public comment period and aims to clean up the Hudson River area impacted by historical industrial activities.

“Finalizing this cleanup plan is a significant step towards restoring the Hudson River area affected by the Quanta Resources site,” said Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “We appreciate the community’s input and look forward to continuing our work at this site to improve the health of the Hudson River and this riverside community.”

The finalized cleanup plan will address the sediment and surface water contamination in an area of the site called Operable Unit 2 (OU2). Sediment in OU2 is contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, highly concentrated tar-like material referred to as non-aqueous phase liquid and arsenic.

Under the finalized plan, EPA will oversee work to:

• Remove contaminated sediment to depths up to 30 feet and transport it to a licensed facility for off-site disposal.
• Backfill dredged areas with clean sediment.
• Place a cap over less contaminated areas to prevent further contamination of the Hudson River.
• Monitor sediment and surface water and capped areas long-term to assess the effectiveness of the cleanup in preventing the migration of contaminants and maintaining the caps as needed.
• Establish institutional controls such as navigational restrictions, signs prohibiting swimming, wading, or fishing, and other use restrictions to protect the cap.
• Conduct a pre-design investigation to determine if the 115 River Road pier building and parking structure could remain in place for an interim period or would need to be demolished in order for the cleanup to be protective of people’s health and the environment.

In response to public comments, a notable change from the proposed cleanup plan is that the final plan does not specify the demolition of the 115 River Road pier. The EPA will decide after a pre-design investigation if the pier, which houses offices, parking and a restaurant, needs to be demolished or can stay temporarily. This decision will depend on whether the contamination beneath the pier can be dredged or contained without risking the structure’s safety.

For additional background and to see the final cleanup plan, visit the Quanta Resources Superfund site profile page.

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Contact: Stephen McBay, (212)-637-3672, [email protected] & Carlos Vega, (212)-637-3662, [email protected]