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Hurricane Sandy Response

Hurricane Sandy Response Efforts

Response timeline | March 1, 2013: 

In response to Hurricane Sandy, EPA has been supporting FEMA and working closely with federal agencies and the states of New Jersey and New York to protect the public's health and the environment through multiple activities. EPA worked to assess damage and respond to environmental concerns.

EPA assessed the condition of drinking water and wastewater facilities, helped to get several damaged wastewater treatment plants in New Jersey up and running, evaluated conditions at hazardous waste sites and assisted in the collection of debris and household hazardous waste. EPA provided information to the public about cleaning up after flooding, mold, and the safe disposal of household hazardous waste.

Most recently, the EPA began assisting New York City and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to collect household hazardous waste and heating oil tanks prior to demolishing homes in targeted areas of Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island.

Raritan Bay Slag Sampling:

The Raritan Bay Slag Site is located on a beach in the Laurence Harbor section of Old Bridge, in the adjacent Margaret�s Creek marsh area, and in a nearby area of Sayreville, New Jersey. The site is contaminated with lead slag, a byproduct of metal smelting. This lead slag was used to construct a seawall and a jetty along the southern shore of the Raritan Bay in Old Bridge and Sayreville.

After Hurricane Sandy, four soil samples were taken in the Laurence Harbor Section of the site on November 3, 2012. Two of the four samples were taken from the public playground area, and the other two were taken from the restricted beach area previously enclosed by the fence.  The EPA compared the results to a concentration established to be protective for residential exposure. Results showed that lead in three of the four samples met this residential limit. Lead in one sample taken in the restricted area of the beach was above the residential limit.

The EPA took additional samples on November 11through 14 and December 20. The EPA collected soil samples from 133 locations on the site.  Lead was identified at concentrations above the residential limit at five locations, but the meaning of these results was inconclusive. On February 20, the EPA collected seven additional samples at a seawall at the site. As of February 27, the EPA was awaiting these latest sampling results for evaluation before determining the appropriate next steps at the site.

Map and Sampling results:
November 11
December 20

Response Timeline

Nov 2012  8   9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Dec 2012  1   2   4   6   8  10 12 14 17 18 27
Jan 2013  2   3   4   7   8   9  10 11 14 15 16 17 18 22 23 24 25 29 30 31
Feb 2013  1   4   5   6  7 8 12 13 14 20 21
March 2013  1   7 
April 2013 11

 

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