Case History 10


The Former Standard Tank Cleaning Services Site
BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY

Located on the Kill Van Kull River in Bayonne, New Jersey, the Former Standard Tank Cleaning Services Site historically operated as a barge and tank cleaning facility that recovered oil from ship ballast water and other sources. Because of repeated environmental violations and the horrendous appearance of structures on the Site, Standard Tank became one of the most widely known contaminated properties in New Jersey. Operations at the Site ceased in 1993 after the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) issued numerous environmental violations and subsequently denied or revoked all permits for the operation.

The City of Bayonne subsequently foreclosed on the property because the buildings and equipment posed an imminent hazard to the public. Investigation of the Site by the City confirmed that soil and groundwater quality had been adversely impacted by historic operations, however, the Site conditions could not be properly evaluated and the actual source(s) of the contamination could not be confirmed because multi-million gallon-capacity aboveground storage tanks (ASTs) and other equipment prevented access to the underlying soil in the main production areas. EXCEL Environmental Resources, Inc. (EXCEL) was retained by the City of Bayonne to design and implement a site-wide remediation utilizing approximately $2,000,000 in grants and financial assistance that has prepared this high-profile Brownfields property for redevelopment and beneficial reuse!

Project Overview

  • On behalf of the City of Bayonne, EXCEL obtained grant funding in the amount of $950,000.00 from the New Jersey Redevelopment Authority (NJRA) under the Brownfields Redevelopment Initiative to conduct an Interim Remedial Action to demolish the ASTs and equipment so that the quality of soil underlying these structures could be investigated and the sources of groundwater contamination could be identified and remediated.
  • Once the ASTs and equipment were demolished and the sources of contamination at the Site were identified, EXCEL then obtained additional funding for the City from the NJRA in the amount of $1,000,000 to complete the site-wide remediation of contaminated soil and install the sub-grade components of a groundwater recovery system to prepare the Site for redevelopment and beneficial reuse by a third-party developer.
  • Because all of the sub-grade components of the system, including Interception Trenches, recovery wells, piping, and Injection Trenches for disposition of the treated groundwater, were installed as part of the remediation, the ground surface at the Site was re-graded and the Site is ready for redevelopment without the need to conduct any additional subsurface work that would disrupt the final grade.
  • Future buildings, asphalt-paved parking areas, and landscaped areas will serve as Engineering Controls under a site-wide Deed Notice to minimize direct contact with contaminated Historic Fill that will remain at the Site.

Key Components of EXCEL’s Work Scope

  • Preparation of Bid Specifications and Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to obtain competitive bids for performance of all phases of the Interim and Site-Wide Remedial Action to select qualified, competitively priced contractors for cost-efficient implementation of the work.
  • Construction Management of the Interim and Site-Wide Remedial Action.
  • Decontamination and demolition of large capacity ASTs ranging in size from 75,000 to 6,000,000-gallons in capacity, demolition of associated concrete pads, and removal of associated piping as necessary to access underlying, contaminated soil for excavation.
  • Closure of three 10,000-gallon gasoline underground storage tanks and all associated piping.
  • Excavation of more than 15,000 tons of soil heavily impacted with oil that was the source of more than 6 feet of free-phase petroleum product on the water table as well as dissolved-phase groundwater contamination.
  • Open-excavation recovery of contaminated groundwater and free-phase oil with onsite treatment and re-injection of the treated groundwater.
  • Design and installation of a sub-grade Interception Trench and recovery well system that will be operated during and after site redevelopment.
  • Overall Project Management to ensure strict adherence to the Remediation work scope, schedule, and costs as necessary to complete all phases of the work within the budget established by the NJRA grants.

Primary Environmental Services Provided by EXCEL

  • Preparation of the NJRA Brownfields Redevelopment Initiative Grant Applications and Negotiation of Financial Assistance Packages
  • Remedial Action Alternatives Analysis and Cost Estimation
  • Remedial Action Work Plan Preparation
  • Bid Specification Preparation and Management of Public Bidding Process
  • Remediation Construction Management and Overall Project Management
  • Aboveground Storage Tank, Equipment, Building, and Concrete Pad Demolition
  • Underground Storage Tank Closure
  • Excavation and Offsite Disposal of Contaminated Soil
  • Open-Excavation Recovery and Onsite Treatment and Re-Injection of Groundwater under a Permit-by-Rule
  • Groundwater Recovery and Treatment System Design
  • Preparation of Project Documents, including Work Plans, Permit Applications, and Reports

Client
The Bayonne
Economic Development Corporation and
Local Redevelopment Authority