Contact: Stephen McBay, (212) 637-3672, mcbay.stephen@epa.gov
NEW YORK (January 26, 2022) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it is taking an important step in protecting people who live near the LCP Chemicals, Inc. Superfund Site cleanup in Linden, N.J. by beginning to demolish several buildings on the site. By getting rid of various buildings and structures on the site, EPA will make way for actions to address mercury-contaminated soil and groundwater. EPA contractors will monitor the air and control dust and erosion during the demolition of these buildings to reduce public contact with the construction debris. EPA expects to complete this work by mid-summer 2022.
“We are safely demolishing these buildings to clear a path for a cleanup that will address the risk this site poses to people in the community,” said Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “Once we have better access to areas under the buildings, we can more readily address the mercury contamination in the soil, as well as the underlying groundwater.”
“This property has been a Superfund site since 1998 and I am very excited that this clean-up will pave the way to get the property redeveloped,” said Mayor Derek Armstead. “LCP shutdown operations in 1985 and having this site redeveloped and put back on the tax rolls will provide both economic and financial benefits to Linden. This clean-up has been a long time coming and I am grateful to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that this is finally happening.”
EPA's selected cleanup plan will place a protective cap over the site's contaminated soil to prevent direct contact with soil and exposure to mercury vapor in the air. The cap will also prevent contamination from entering the underlying groundwater. Contaminated sediment from on-site manmade drainage ditches will be dug up and placed under the cap. Once done, EPA will oversee the reconstruction of these wetlands.
To further prevent migration of the site's contaminated groundwater, the groundwater will be pumped and sent to a local water treatment plant, and a barrier wall will be put in place right below the surface. Furthermore, EPA will monitor the groundwater and place restrictions on the land's future use and other activities that could impact the protectiveness of the selected cleanup. These cleanup actions are the latest phase of work at the site after years of effort investigating the nature and extent of the contamination and available cleanup options by EPA on how best to address the site over the long term.
For more information about the LCP Chemicals, Inc. Superfund site, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/lcp-chemicals.
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