EPA Completes Cleanup of Abandoned Manufacturing Site in Camden, N.J. (NJ)
(New York, NY) The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) has removed asbestos and hazardous
materials at an abandoned manufacturing facility in Camden, New
Jersey. EPA removed over four hundred drums, pails and other
containers, containing hazardous chemicals including hexavalent
chromium, perchloric acid, butanol, dichlorobenzene, hydrochloric
acid and sulfuric acid. They were disposed of at an off-site
licensed facility. EPA took action at the four-story building at
1700 Federal Street in Camden to reduce the risks to public health
and safety because the hazardous chemicals found there had the
potential to ignite, explode or be released into the
air.
“EPA took decisive action to protect
members of the community who live in close proximity to this
abandoned manufacturing site,” said Judith A. Enck EPA
Regional Administrator. “EPA removed containers of hazardous
chemicals and old insulation that contained asbestos. The site is
now secure and no longer a threat to people or the
environment.”
EPA was notified about hazardous conditions at
the former detergent and cleaning products manufacturing facility
in August 2010 by the New Jersey Department of Environmental
Protection. The property is believed to be owned by the Concord
Chemical, Inc. An investigation is underway to identify who is
responsible for the cleanup of the chemicals left behind. EPA
investigated the site and found a mix of acids, corrosives,
asbestos, and other hazardous substances; signs of vandalism; and
evidence of chemical spills and leaks on the floors and walls. The
containers of hazardous chemicals were found in varying states of
disrepair and neglect throughout the building. Many of the
chemicals were volatile organic compounds, a group of chemicals
that can damage health. Exposure to asbestos can lead to a
debilitating lung disease called asbestosis, a rare cancer of the
chest and abdominal lining called mesothelioma, and various other
cancers.
All hazardous waste and substances were either
secured or removed from the site and disposed of at facilities with
permits to receive hazardous waste. Finally, the building was
secured and the keys were transferred to the local fire
deptartment.
EPA worked with the Camden Fire Department and
with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
Throughout the cleanup, the community was kept informed by the web,
flyers, door to door outreach and a public meeting. The nearly $1
million cleanup began in August 2010 and was recently completed.
EPA will pursue various parties to pay for the
cleanup.
For more information about EPA emergency
cleanups, visit: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-2
To learn more about EPA Region 2, visit:
https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-2
Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/eparegion2
and visit our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/eparegion2.
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