Today, the Former Paperboard Specialties Site is a superb example of the rebirth underway in Paterson—thanks in large part to the public/private partnerships and creative solutions by EXCEL Environmental Resources, Inc. (EXCEL). From the 1940’s until the early 1990’s, manufacturing of paper products took place at the Site. The City foreclosed upon it after operations ceased and it was abandoned by the owners. Soil and groundwater at the property was contaminated by No. 6 fuel oil from underground storage tanks and there was Site-wide soil contamination associated with Historic Fill.
The City retained EXCEL to evaluate data previously generated by others to determine if the property could be remediated and redeveloped in a reasonable timeframe and at a reasonable cost. To offset the cost of soil and groundwater cleanup, EXCEL obtained grant funds on behalf of the City to cover the entire cost of asbestos abatement, building demolition, and the majority of the soil and groundwater remediation.
The City was able to sell the property to a local developer that retained EXCEL to manage the environmental components of the redevelopment, including construction management related to the capping of contaminated Historic Fill using various components of a 40,000 square foot retail shopping center as Engineering Controls, preparation of a Deed Notice, and obtaining a Brownfield Redevelopment Agreement application for reimbursement of up to 75% of the costs associated with these final cleanup activities.
Project Overview
- EXCEL assisted the City in obtaining grant funds from the State to demolish all Site buildings, including asbestos abatement, in order to access the areas in need of additional delineation.
- EXCEL proceeded on an expedited basis to complete soil and groundwater delineation and prepare a Remedial Action Work Plan for removal of grossly-impacted soil that was the source of free-phase No. 6 fuel oil in the soil, in the underlying weathered bedrock, and on the water table.
- The remediation involved challenging excavation activities that were expertly managed by EXCEL’s Remediation Division resulting in removal of the former tanks and oil-saturated soil that was the source of the free-phase product on groundwater. Segregation/sampling of excavated soil enabled reuse of non-impacted soil as backfill at a cost savings of more than $100,000.
- Free-phase fuel oil was recovered from the open excavations resulting in complete eradication of free-phase product. Groundwater was treated and re-injected onsite under a Permit-By-Rule.
- EXCEL prepared a Remedial Action Report indicating that no additional soil or groundwater remediation was required. NJDEP approved the Report on an expedited basis which enabled the City to meet their timeline for auctioning the property.
- A developer acquired the property and retained EXCEL to assist them with capping the Site-wide Historic Fill using their 40,000 square foot retail development as Engineering Controls, preparation of a Deed Notice, obtaining a Brownfield Redevelopment Agreement, managing the onsite handling/reuse and capping of Historic Fill during construction, and final reporting.
Key Components of EXCEL’s Work Scope
- Asbestos Abatement and demolition of all buildings.
- Completion of soil and groundwater delineation and preparation of an efficient and effective Remedial Action Work Plan.
- Excavation/offsite disposal of grossly-impacted soil coupled with open excavation recovery of groundwater and free-phase No. 6 fuel oil during excavation.
- Preparation of a Remedial Action Report for the oil-impacted soil and free-phase product remediation that resulted in NJDEP approval on an expedited basis which enabled the City to meet its timeline for auctioning the property.
- Assisting the developer in obtaining a Brownfield Redevelopment Agreement for reimbursement of up to 75% of the costs associated with managing Historic Fill during construction, management and onsite reuse of excavated Historic Fill, preparation of the Deed Notice, and final reporting to obtain a No Further Action determination.
Primary Environmental Services Provided by EXCEL
Grant and Permit Acquisition on behalf of the City- Demolition and Asbestos Abatement Bid Specification/Management
- Demolition and Asbestos Abatement Construction Management
- Delineation of Soil and Groundwater Quality
- Remedial Action Alternative Evaluation, Cost Estimation/Cost-Benefit Analyses
- Remedial Action Work Plan Preparation
- Remediation of No. 6 Fuel Oil Impacts to Soil and Groundwater
- Negotiations and Consensus-Building with the NJDEP Case Team
- Expediting of Total Project Schedule to Meet Transaction Deadlines
- Brownfield Redevelopment Agreement on behalf of the Developer
- Construction Management
- Project Management
- Preparation of a Deed Notice and Remedial Action Reports