29 feet of contaminated soil near a flood plain at the mouth of the Rahway River threatens to pollute parts of Staten Island, according to opponents of New Jersey’s Arch Project.
The Rahway Arch site is a former chemical byproduct waste disposal site which served as a dumping ground for acidic sludge and aluminum sulfate.
In 2010, Rahway Arch Properties bought the site and ordered an environmental assessment. The company then imported two million tons of petroleum-laced soil that would be processed at an on-site facility and act as a cap for the toxic sludge beneath.
Following Hurricane Sandy, New York legislators warned that the soil and sludge could drift into the Arthur Kill and onto the western shore of Staten Island. This could potentially lead to significant air and water quality problems for residents in NY and NJ.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has determined this project is an acceptable approach for eliminating the current contamination from the former American Cyanamid site to groundwater and the Rahway River.
Source: Capital
