Kearny, New Jersey
The Diamond Head Oil Refinery Div. Superfund Site is a 30.5-acre area near the Hackensack Meadowlands in Kearny, New Jersey. Several companies, including PSC Resources, Inc., Ag-Met Oil Service, Inc., and Newtown Refining Corporation, reprocessed oil at the Diamond Head Oil facility between the 1940s–1970s. These companies used multiple aboveground storage tanks and may have also used pits right below the ground surface to store oil waste during facility operations. This waste was periodically dumped directly into neighboring properties to the east and the wetland area on the site’s south side, creating an “oil lake.” The primary contaminant of concern is light, non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPL), such as oils, gasoline, or diesel fuel. Other COCs include PCBs, chromium, dioxin, and lead. Total Organic Carbon (TOC) was found in the groundwater.
Sevenson performed multiple treatability studies to address the continuing issue of dissolved naturally occurring organic material, which was a major contributor to the TOC discovered in the Diamond Head effluent wastewater. In each of the treatability studies, Sevenson tested the three types of water found on site – stormwater runoff, active excavation water, and leachate – while adjusting dose rates of different additives to find a successful treatment. In order to treat the TOC, Sevenson reduced the WWTP’s flowrate, added a new 5,000-lb. GAC vessel, and removed chemical additions to successfully reduce the TOC results and to meet the NJDEP permit equivalency limits. Sevenson performed treatability studies to aid the remediation. Remediation activities included sheet pile to facilitate excavation due to an excessive amount of groundwater in the excavation area; performed waste characterization; excavated and dewatered contaminated soils, non-contaminated soils, and wetlands areas; coordinated and performed T&D; and completed backfill/cap remedial activities.