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EPA Proposes Cleanup Plan for Rockaway Borough Well Field Superfund Site

Release Date: 08/10/2007
Contact Information: Elizabeth Totman 212-637-3662, [email protected]

(New York, N.Y.)— In a major step towards cleaning up the Rockaway Borough Well Field Superfund Site in Morris County, New Jersey, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a plan for the Klockner and Klockner (K&K) facility area, which has been identified as one of the borough’s sources of ground water contamination. The plan calls for soil from the area contaminated by volatile organic compounds to be remediated and for off-site disposal and treatment. The plan also calls for a small area of lead-contaminated soil to be excavated and disposed of off-site.

“By cleaning up the soil contamination, we are getting rid of one important source of contamination to the ground water,” said Alan J. Steinberg, Regional Administrator. “This will bring us one step closer to cleaning up the whole site, an exciting prospect for citizens in the borough.”

EPA will hold a public meeting to present and discuss the proposed cleanup plan on August 23, 2007 at 7:00 pm at the Rockaway Borough Community Center located at 21-25 Union Street in Rockaway, NJ.

The Rockaway Borough Well Field Superfund Site includes three municipal water supply wells. The wells supply potable water to approximately 11,000 people. In 1985, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection investigated the site and concluded that contamination found in the municipal water supply was emanating from multiple source areas within the borough. Based on these findings, EPA initiated a follow-up investigation to identify the sources of contamination, determine its extent, and evaluate potential cleanup methods. EPA’s investigation of the area encompassed nearby businesses including dry cleaners, auto body repair shops, auto service and repair shops, banks, hardware stores, hairdressers, convenience stores, and food establishments. The borough police and fire departments, Memorial Park, and municipal parking lots were also investigated. Upon these investigations, it was determined that the sources of contamination were from industrial operations within the borough, including the K&K Facility.

The K&K facility consists of two separate properties, the first being located just north of Stickle Avenue and the second just south. The area is predominantly covered by roadways, driveways, parking areas and concrete buildings. To deal with soil contaminated by volatile organic compounds (VOCs), EPA is proposing to excavate a portion of the soil as well as to utilize vacuum wells to remove VOCs from additional soil; the approaches will be used at different locations on the site. The plan will also address soil contaminated with lead through excavation and off-site disposal.

The 30-day public comment period on the proposed plan begins August 13, 2007. EPA will select a final remedy for the site after reviewing and considering information submitted during the public comment period. Interested individuals can send comments to:

Brian Quinn, Remedial Project Manager
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
290 Broadway, 20th floor
New York, New York 10007-1866
[email protected]

For more information on the Superfund program, go to https://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund. For further information on the Rockaway Borough Well Field site, visit http://epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/rockaway/index.html