Is creation of a park and nature center at the former Ciba-Geigy Superfund site adequate compensation for years of industrial contamination that still isn’t cleaned up? This is the settlement that the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) plans to offer BASF, current owner of the 1,255-acre site in Toms River.
The notorious toxic waste site was home to manufacture of epoxy resins, pigments, industrial dyes, and plastics from 1952 until operations were shut down in 1996. Tens of thousands of toxic waste drums were stored at the site and wastewater was pumped into Toms River, a drinking water source for nearby residents. The result: A sharp spike in childhood cancers and contaminated groundwater.
The last public comment on the proposed settlement was accepted April 5. The NJ Chapter of the Sierra Club has called for a delay in the settlement to investigate recent evidence of per-fluoro octanoic acid (PFOA) on the site. PFOA is a forever chemical that was found in groundwater at levels above DEP maximum allowable contamination. This needs to be investigated further.
It is also unclear whether the plume of underground toxic water is under control or when water on the site will be restored to drinking water standards. The Chapter has requested 3D visualization of the plume to see its extent.
“BASF is only on the hook at this site for 10 years, even though Superfund Sites take decades to clean up. The Sierra Club highly recommends the DEP extend the timeline until the site is fully remediated and risk to the community is negligible,” said Chapter Conservation Program Manager Taylor McFarland.
It may be too generous to allow BASF to walk away from all of these question marks in return for a gift of a 1,000-acre nature preserve.
Resource
Proposed DEP Settlement: dep.nj.gov/basf/