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  • 16 Aug 2023 5:08 PM | Michael Lazo (Administrator)

    Publish Date

    August 16, 2023

    Summary

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public review of and comment on its tentative decision to approve a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) cleanup and disposal plan, submitted by Russo Meadowlands Park, LLC, for the Former Henkel Corporation sSite located at 651 12th Street in the Borough of Carlstadt, Bergen County, New Jersey. Any person wishing to comment should do so within 30 days of the date of the public notice. Once the public comment period closes, EPA will consider any comments submitted during the period before making a final decision. 

    Former Henkel Russo PCB Community Update Fact Sheet (pdf) (234.61 KB)

    Former Henkel Russo Draft RBDA Approval Final (pdf) (739.02 KB)

    Former Henkel Russo Proposed Approval Application (pdf) (1.76 MB)

    Applicants or Respondents

    Russo Meadowlands Park, LLC

    570 Commerce Boulevard
    CarlstadtNJ 07072
    United States

  • 16 Aug 2023 5:06 PM | Michael Lazo (Administrator)

    Public comments accepted until September 15

    August 16, 2023

    Contact Information

    David Deegan (deegan.dave@epa.gov)

    (617) 918-1017

    BOSTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed to remove the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, located in Kittery, Maine, from the National Priorities List (NPL), commonly referred to as Superfund. EPA has determined that the site cleanup is complete, and no further remedial action is required. Operation, maintenance, and monitoring activities will continue at the site as needed, as well as five-year reviews to ensure the remedies continue to protect human health and the environment. The agency will accept public comments on the proposed deletion until September 15, 2023.

    Site Background:

    The 278-acre Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is a restricted access military facility located on Seavey Island in the Piscataqua River at the mouth of Portsmouth Harbor between Kittery, Maine, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Shipbuilding activities in Portsmouth Harbor date back to 1690. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard was established as a government facility in 1800. The first government-built submarine was designed and constructed there during World War I, and a large number of submarines have been designed, constructed, and repaired at this facility since 1917. Today, the shipyard employs approximately 5,000 civilians and approximately 200 active-duty military personnel with the primary mission being the conversion, overhaul, and repair of submarines for the US Navy.

    Contamination at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard resulted from shipbuilding and submarine repair work, landfill operations, spills and leaks from industrial operations and piping, storage of batteries and other materials, filling of land, and outfalls to the river. Seven areas on and around the Shipyard have been identified for investigation. Contamination detected in groundwater, soils, and sediments include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs), metals, and benzene. After the site was added to the NPL in 1994, extensive cleanup work was conducted over the following decades to address contamination issues, which have now been completed. The State of Maine has reviewed and commented on this action and concurs with EPA’s proposed deletion of this site from the National Priorities List.

    Proposed Deletion Information and How to Comment:

    Long-term stewardship will be ongoing to maintain institutional controls, security and ensure future land use is consistent with the remediation. EPA will continue to assess the environmental remediation work performed at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Superfund Site every five years to ensure the remedy continues to protect human health and the environment, as required by the Superfund law. A proposed or final deletion does not prevent future actions under the Superfund law.

    The NPL tracks the nation’s most contaminated sites that threaten human health or the environment. Sites on the list are eligible for cleanup under the Superfund program and once all the remedies are successfully implemented, EPA removes sites or parts of sites from the list.

    EPA’s 30-day public comment period on the proposed deletion will begin August 16, 2023, and will end on September 15, 2023. The public or other interested parties may submit comments by mail or email:

    Mail:

    Robert Lim
    US EPA Region 1 Mail code: 07-1
    5 Post Office Square, Suite 100
    Boston, MA 02109-3912
    Email: lim.robert@epa.gov

    The Administrative Record on the Proposed Deletion can be found here: https://www.navfac.navy.mil/Business-Lines/Environmental/Products-and-Services/Environmental-Restoration/Mid-Atlantic/Portsmouth-NSY/Administrative-Record/

    All Site related materials can be found on at: https://www.navfac.navy.mil/Business-Lines/Environmental/Products-and-Services/Environmental-Restoration/Mid-Atlantic/Portsmouth-NSY/

    Materials can also be accessed at:

    Rice Public Library
    8 Wentworth Street
    Kittery, ME 03904
    (207) 439-1553

    Portsmouth Public Library
    175 Parrott Street
    Portsmouth, NH 03801
    (603) 427-1540

    For more information or to have a hard copy sent to you, please contact: Charlotte Gray, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator, gray.charlotte@epa.gov, Office: 617-918-1243, Toll free: 1-888-372-7341 ext. 8-1243

  • 15 Aug 2023 5:11 PM | Michael Lazo (Administrator)

    The site of the former Gilbert and Bennett Wire Mill fostered Redding’s growth, but it’s long since suffered a reversal of fortune, according to First Selectman Julia Pemberton.

    “The history of Redding is built around the history of this wire mill,” Pemberton said. “And this mill has sat vacant and derelict for about 34 years.”

    A new $200,000 remediation grant approved by the state in June will help wrap up a long running clean up project, as the town considers redeveloping the former mill as a mixed use development.

    Read more...

  • 10 Aug 2023 12:20 PM | Michael Lazo (Administrator)

    Today Governor Maura Healey signed legislation extending the eligibility deadlines for the Massachusetts Brownfields tax credits program by five years. The legislation had been included in the budget bill, which had recently been passed by the Massachusetts House and Senate. 

    Read more...

  • 10 Aug 2023 12:18 PM | Michael Lazo (Administrator)

    New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced four appointments to new and existing leadership positions with DEC's Executive and Regional teams.

    "I am excited to announce key DEC leadership additions and changes that are critical to sustaining the success of New York's environmental protection policies and programs," Commissioner Seggos said.

    Read more...

  • 10 Aug 2023 12:17 PM | Michael Lazo (Administrator)

    On April 17, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) published its final Environmental Justice rules (EJ Rules). The EJ Rules stem from New Jersey’s first-of-its-kind Environmental Justice Law (EJ Law), enacted in September 2020 (N.J.S.A. 13:1D-157 et seq.). 

    Read more...

  • 09 Aug 2023 12:15 PM | Michael Lazo (Administrator)

    Today Governor Maura Healy signed legislation extending the eligibility deadlines for the Massachusetts Brownfields tax credits program by five years. The legislation had been included in the budget bill, which had recently been passed by the Massachusetts House and Senate.

    Read more...

  • 09 Aug 2023 12:13 PM | Michael Lazo (Administrator)

    August 9, 2023

    Contact Information

    Stephen McBay (mcbay.stephen@epa.gov)

    (212)-637-3672

    NEW YORK - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has extended the public comment period for its proposed changes to address contaminated soil and debris at the Woodbrook Road Dump Superfund site in South Plainfield, New Jersey to September 13, 2023. EPA held a public meeting at the South Plainfield Township Courtroom on July 27, 2023, to explain the proposed changes to the public. 

    The proposed changes that are being announced today document that the estimated cost of the selected cleanup rose from $45.4 million in 2018 to $70 million in 2023 due in part to inflation and increased construction costs. In addition, in 2021, New Jersey created the Peter J. Barnes III Wildlife Preserve which includes the Woodbrook Road Dump site.

    In 2020, EPA reviewed the selected cleanup plan for the site. The results of EPA’s review, carried out in coordination with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, confirmed that the 2013 selected cleanup plan remains the best option.

    EPA’s cleanup plan for the site was originally documented in a 2013 Record of Decision and modified in a 2018 Explanation of Significant Differences. The cleanup plan includes:

    • Removing an estimated 4,000 cubic yards of soil and debris that contains capacitors, capacitor parts and PCB-contaminated soil and debris with PCB concentrations greater than 100 parts per million (ppm) to an approved off-site disposal facility.
    • Removing an estimated 143,000 cubic yards of soil and debris that contains PCBs at concentrations greater than 1.1 ppm to an approved off-site disposal facility.

    Written comments on the proposed Explanation of Significant Differences may be mailed or emailed to Diane Salkie Sharkey, Remedial Project Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 290 Broadway – 18th Floor, New York, NY 10007, Email: salkie.diane@epa.gov.

    For additional background and to see all of the changes in the proposed Explanation of Significant Differences, visit the Woodbrook Road Dump Superfund site profile page.

  • 04 Aug 2023 10:30 AM | Michael Lazo (Administrator)

    By Niki Bajracharya, NJEDA Brownfields and Sustainable Systems

    Taking a major step towards revitalizing brownfield sites throughout New Jersey, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) launched the inaugural application round for its Brownfields Redevelopment Incentive Program (BRIP) in June. The BRIP is designed to support remediation costs and incentivize developers to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites throughout the state, transforming old, vacant, or underutilized contaminated properties into local community assets. 

    The BRIP is a competitive tax credit initiative with a budget of $300 million designed to incentivize environmental remediation, abatement, and demolition activities, opening doors for commercial, retail, and mixed-use development or expansion on brownfield sites. Under the BRIP, eligible brownfield sites can receive a one-time tax credit award up to 60 percent of the remediation costs, depending on their location, with a maximum award up to $8 million per project. Importantly, these tax credits are transferable and can be sold. The credits can also be combined with other NJEDA funding initiatives such as Aspire and the Historic Property Reinvestment Program, providing developers with additional financial support.
     
    In addition to administering financial incentives, the Brownfields & Sustainable System team at the NJEDA has created materials to assist potential applicants. The Authority’s website provides an Eligibility Self-Assessment Tool, an Application Checklist, and Frequently Asked Questions, all of which can be invaluable resources for applicants seeking to understand the program's criteria and application process.
     
    Applications for the BRIP are due by 5:00 p.m. EDT on September 21, 2023, and can be found hereDevelopers interested in revitalizing brownfield sites in New Jersey should consider this program as a valuable resource. By leveraging the financial incentives and technical support available through the BRIP, developers can transform abandoned, contaminated properties into thriving community assets.

     

     

  • 03 Aug 2023 10:57 AM | Michael Lazo (Administrator)

    Eight environmental leaders are pressing Maryland energy regulators for more transparency on how the state’s renewable energy program is handled — and how the state hands out financial credits for entities that generate renewable energy.

    Read more...


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