EPA Issues Final Cleanup Plan for Lister Ave. Portion of the Diamond Alkali Superfund Site in Newark, NJ
Newark, N.J. (January 17, 2025) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized its cleanup plan for the 80-120 Lister Ave. portion of the Diamond Alkali Superfund Site in Newark, NJ. The plan will address the contaminated soil, debris and groundwater that was left behind by activities at the Lister Ave. facility. The EPA released the proposed plan for public comment in September of 2024 and those comments were considered before EPA made its final decision.
Due to its size and complexity, the EPA separated the Superfund site and project work into four phases known as Operable Units (OUs). This final cleanup plan, known as a Record of Decision, focuses on OU1, the location of a former pesticide and herbicide manufacturing facility that contaminated the surrounding area, the Lower Passaic River and Newark Bay.
“The contamination stemming from the Lister Avenue facility has impacted Newark for decades, and this cleanup plan marks a significant milestone in addressing it,” said Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “With this decision, EPA is reinforcing our commitment to protecting Newark’s communities and environment by advancing long-term solutions that ensure a safer and healthier future.”
The EPA’s final cleanup plan calls for continued operation of the existing remedy, with improvements including reinstalling and reactivating a total of seven groundwater wells and pumps, upgrading the current groundwater treatment system, and making any necessary repairs to the existing cap covering contaminated materials. This approach builds on the previously completed work and would avoid the short-term risks associated with other options such as digging up and removing the contaminated material outright.
EPA assessed the potential impacts from climate change and confirmed that the 2001 cleanup was designed to withstand anticipated flood and storm impacts. The existing cleanup remained effective through major storms. EPA conducted a forward-looking climate change vulnerability assessment on the proposed cleanup to evaluate the impacts of rising temperatures, sea level rise, extreme weather, and heavy precipitation. The assessment concluded that the cleanup plan moving forward will address these vulnerabilities. The agency’s cleanup approach includes planning for a temporary groundwater treatment system to provide treatment if the existing system is damaged during a storm.
For the purposes of investigating and cleaning up the river, EPA separated the 17-mile stretch of the Lower Passaic River into two units: the lower 8.3 miles and the upper 9 miles, each with unique characteristics. EPA issued a Record of Decision selecting the cleanup plan for the lower 8.3 miles in 2016, and for the upper nine miles in 2021. In 2024, the EPA approved the engineering design for the cleanup of the lower 8.3 miles, prepared by Occidental Chemical Corporation, a potentially responsible party for the site. As of 2023, Occidental Chemical Corporation began developing the engineering design for the upper 9-mile portion. The other area of this site, a portion of Newark Bay, has undergone an investigation by Occidental Chemical Corporation and is currently the subject of ongoing studies to evaluate cleanup options.
Additional background and the finalized cleanup plan will be available at the Diamond Alkali Superfund site page.
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