The EPA's final plan addresses the volatile organic compounds in the groundwater.
MILFORD -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized a plan to clean up contaminated groundwater at the Curtis Specialty Papers Superfund site in Milford and Alexandria Township in Hunterdon County, the agency announced Thursday.
The site includes the former Milford Paper Mill, which operated for 96 years before shutting down in 2003.
"This site has a toxic legacy that involves PCBs, volatile organic compounds and other pollutants that persist in the environment. This step in the cleanup process is important and will provide a cleaner environment in these communities," said EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck.
RELATED: Cleanup at mill needn't delay demolition, says EPA
Past operations contaminated the soil with PCBs, and contaminated groundwater in several areas of the site with volatile organic compounds. PCBs are chemicals that persist in the environment and can affect the immune, reproductive, nervous and endocrine systems and are potentially cancer-causing.
Previous cleanup work has addressed the immediate risks and the sources of contamination at the site, including PCB-contaminated soil, buildings and structures, and debris and other risks, the EPA stated.
In 2007, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection turned the site over to the EPA and the EPA added the site to its federal Superfund list in 2009.
The EPA's final plan addresses the volatile organic compounds in the groundwater, the final part of the site that requires a cleanup under Superfund. The EPA is requiring bioremediation using non-hazardous additives to break down the volatile organic compounds in the groundwater.
The specific types of additives to be used will be determined by the EPA as part of the design of the cleanup. Throughout the cleanup, monitoring, testing and further studies will be conducted to ensure the effectiveness of the remedy. Use of groundwater from the site as drinking water will be legally restricted.
Milford officials weren't immediately available for comment. They just got word of the decision late Thursday morning, said Clerk Karen Dysart.
At a public meeting held by the EPA in Milford on May 28, EPA regional project manager Alison Hess told a gathering that demolition of the unsightly paper mill does not have to wait until the groundwater is purified.
MORE: EPA in 2008 says mill brims with toxins
From 2007 to 2014, EPA conducted and oversaw several elements of the site's cleanup, including removing hazardous materials, storage tanks, oil-containing electrical equipment, asbestos, construction and demolition debris, concrete, scrap metal and contaminated soil.
Over 10,500 cubic yards of soil were removed. In addition, a dozen buildings, garages and other structures were demolished and six wells used by the facility were closed and dismantled.
A large outdoor basin that was used to aerate wastewater from the operation was demolished and the area was restored to an open habitat area. The slopes along the Quequacommisacong Creek, which had eroded, were restored and replanted.
The majority of the cleanup of the Curtis Specialty Papers Superfund that has been conducted to date has been paid for by the International Paper Company and Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products, with oversight by the EPA.
Sallie Graziano may be reached at sgraziano@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SallieGraziano. Find The Hunterdon County Democrat on Facebook.
