ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO AND NJDEP COMMISSIONER CAMPBELL OUTLINE PLAN TO REMOVE GASOLINE CONTAMINATION FROM BRANCH BROOK PARK RECREATION COMPLEX
Essex County and State Work Cooperatively to Develop Remediation Plan
Newark, NJ – During a press conference in Newark on Thursday, December 9th, Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. and NJ Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bradley Campbell announced plans to remediate soil contaminated with gasoline that was found in the Middle Division recreation complex in Essex County’s Branch Brook Park. Essex County and the NJDEP worked cooperatively and swiftly to develop a remediation plan. As a result, the park renovation project is still scheduled to be completed when local baseball Little Leagues start their season in the spring of 2005.
“This is a great example of the County and State working together to find a solution to remove the contaminated soil and still renovate the recreation fields, all for the benefit of our residents,” DiVincenzo said. “Branch Brook Park is the first county park in the country and it is a place where hundreds of young athletes play their games and learn about teamwork and sportsmanship. With help from Green Acres we already were in the process of upgrading the recreational facilities in the park and with the DEP’s help again we will remove the contamination from the park,” he added.
“We’re taking action to clean up the park to ensure this recreational haven poses no environmental concerns to the community,” said Commissioner Campbell. “DEP has supported County Executive DiVincenzo’s efforts to upgrade Branch Brook Park with Green Acres funding. Now, we will move quickly to clean up the contamination found so that field renovations can continue.”
In May, the County Executive announced the start of a $4 million project to renovate and reconfigure the softball/baseball fields in the Middle Division recreation complex. When noxious gas fumes were uncovered at the site, Essex County stopped construction immediately. Testing determined the soil contained xylene and benzyne, both fuel by products that had traveled from a nearby contaminated site. The contamination was found several feet below the surface and the public was not exposed to it.
When the party responsible for the contamination could not be determined, the NJDEP allocated $500,000 to develop a plan and remove the contamination from the site. Handex of Morganville and Clean Venture have been hired to pump the fuel contamination from the site and dispose of it at another location. Work is expected to begin next week. Essex County has hired the engineering firm of Hatch, Mott and McDonald to oversee the environmental work.
Contamination was not found on fields 3 and 4. The NJDEP also will maintain several monitoring wells in the Middle Division.