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Standard Chlorine Chemical Company Site Added to the List

Release Date: 09/19/2007
Contact Information: Elizabeth Totman (212) 637-3662, totman.elizabeth@epa.gov

(New York, N.Y.) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is adding the Standard Chlorine Chemical Company, Inc. site in Kearny, New Jersey to the priorities list for investigation and cleanup. The National Priorities List includes abandoned hazardous waste sites throughout the country that will be addressed under the federal Superfund program.

“Adding this site to the National Priorities List is a huge step towards addressing it full on,” said Regional Administrator Alan J. Steinberg. “Now that it’s on the list, EPA can continue to make progress through the Superfund program and get this site cleaned up.

The Standard Chlorine Chemical Company, Inc. site lies in the Hackensack Meadowlands. Health advisories have been issued for the Hackensack River due to polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and dioxin contamination, originating in part from the Standard Chlorine site. Chemical manufacturing was carried out on the property from the early 1900s to the 1990s. The processing of liquid petroleum naphthalene for the manufacturing of moth balls and flakes and storing and packaging moth preventatives and deodorizers occurred at the facility, among other operations.

Soils are contaminated throughout the site, as well as two lagoons, which are located on the eastern portion of the 25-acre facility. There is also an area contaminated with PCBs in the vicinity of a former transformer. All of these areas appear to ultimately drain into the Hackensack River. Soil and ground water contamination seems to discharge directly to the surface water bodies. There are also tanks and drums that contained various hazardous substances including dioxin-contaminated asbestos.

Sampling conducted between 1992 and 2002 indicated that a release of site-related hazardous substances occurred to the Hackensack River and adjacent wetlands. Among the substances, dioxins and various forms of benzenes have been detected. In December 2001, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) requested that EPA evaluate the Standard Chlorine site for listing on the NPL. EPA carried out further extensive sampling of the site and is now ready to put the site on the NPL.

To find out more about the NPL Site Listing Process, visit: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/npl_hrs.htm

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