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An overview of the American Cyanamid Company's industrial site in Bound Brook, New Jersey, focusing on its environmental history and health assessment. The site has been in operation since 1915, and until 1981, unlined lagoons were used for waste storage, resulting in groundwater contamination. the site's remediation efforts, including the cleanup of impoundments and soils, as well as ongoing groundwater remediation. It also addresses public health concerns and the site's current conditions.
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Prepared by:
New Jersey Department of Health Under Cooperative Agreement with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
The American Cyanamid Company (Cyanamid) is the owner and operator of an active industrial facility in Bound Brook, New Jersey. The facility encompasses approximately 575 acres and is bounded by NJ Route 28 to the north, the Raritan River to the south and west, and Interstate 287 to the east. Chemical manufacturing on the site has been continuous since 1915, with Cyanamid's operations beginning in 1929. During approximately 64 years of operation, the company has produced over 800 chemicals. These include pharmaceutical, dyes and textile chemicals, organic pigments rubber compounds, and various intermediate chemicals. Currently, only pharmaceuticals are manufactured on site.
Throughout Cyanamid's operations at the site, and until 1981, unlined lagoons were utilized for waste storage. Approximately 800,000 tons of chemical waste were discharged to 27 on-site lagoons and containment areas. These lagoons generally contain either organic tars, lime or waste water treatment sludges, and are the source of severely contaminated groundwater under the site. In addition, the lagoons may be the source of the contamination (numerous organic chemicals and metals) detected in soil and surface water.
The groundwater contamination resulting from on-site lagoons and contaminated soils in production and west yard areas of the site is well documented, and the focus of extensive study and remedial efforts by American Cyanamid. Impoundment Characterization was completed in
American Cyanamid was listed on the National Priorities List (NPL, a.k.a. Superfund) in September of 1983. The company has signed two Administrative Consent Orders (ACOs) with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Energy (NJDEPE). The first ACO, signed in December 1981, required Cyanamid to access the contamination of the underlying groundwater from the on-site impoundments and to design and enforce a remedial plan. In addition, this ACO requires Cyanamid to pump and treat groundwater at the rate of 650, gallons per day. Water from these production wells is treated at the Somerset Raritan Sewerage Authority. A second ACO signed on May 25, 1988 assures approximately $63 Million dollars for ongoing site remediation projects.
was very tight. This included perimeter fencing and security guards. Some of the other contaminated areas were accessible to trespassers;
of the Port Reading railroad tracks. Specifically, fresh "All Terrain Vehicle" (ATV) tracks were observed on impoundment 16. Also in this area shot gun shells and beer cans were noted;
apparently migrated to a small pond nearby. The vegetation in the runoff area was stressed; and
Conditions at the American Cyanamid site, since the 1990 Health Assessment, have changed physically, but the environmental conditions have remained constant. Physical changes noted include: the initiation of the contaminant solidification process in impoundment #8; more groundwater monitoring wells were added, there are now 501 monitoring wells on the site; security in the area south of the Port Reading railroad tracks has been increased with the addition of signs and a cable blocking the access road near the water plant; and there has been further demolition of some of the old buildings on the site.
In light of current site conditions, the former conclusion in the original public health assessment of a potential public health concern appear to have been partially addressed. As long as the site remains secure from site trespassers, no exposure, resulting in adverse health effects, is likely to occur. The dominant trespasser activity in the area south of the railroad tracks is ATV use. No direct access to this area by standard vehicles is possible. Trespassers are generally teenagers and adults, and it appears that the sites remoteness from population areas serves to keep young children from the area. Site trespassers could be exposed to site contaminants at levels of public health concern. Two of the four lagoons in the area (impoundments 17 and 18), while less contaminated than the Main Plant area, contain wastewater sludges that are contaminated with VOCs, SVOCs, and various metals. These two impoundments are heavily overgrown with a vegetative cover and are, therefore, unlikely to be used by trespassers. The other areas, which appear to be the most used areas by the site trespassers (impoundments 15 and 16), consist almost entirely of solid iron oxide waste. Iron oxide, in this form, is not considered to be intrinsically hazardous material.
It remains a fact that, although it maybe assumed that groundwater contamination existed prior to the groundwater control program, there is still no supporting data regarding groundwater contamination levels. Therefore, no further action regarding past exposures can be taken.
There has been a considerable amount of additional site data collected which has further characterized current contamination at the site. With the continuation of the groundwater pumping from the production wells, however, there is no complete exposure pathway.
Currently, the American Cyanamid Company is preparing to initiate the remedial design for the Group I impoundments, the first of three such operable units. Once in place, the selected remedial alternative (solidification) will prevent any further potential exposure. There are no documented on-going exposures to site related contaminants.
There is public health concern involving the continued evidence of trespassing near and/or on the lagoons south of the Port Reading railroad tracks. Cyanamid has made some efforts to limit unauthorized access to this area, but their efforts have not been totally successful.
The main concern of local residents is that, while they want the site cleaned up, they oppose any remedy which would involve the use of an on-site incinerator. At this time, with the selection of solidification of site contaminants as a final remedy, the incinerator issue appears to be moot.
According to local health officials, contaminated groundwater does not appear to be a concern of area residents because they are not utilizing private residential wells. In addition, there are no known community concerns regarding past exposures to site related contaminants or any other concerns for adverse health effects.
Conclusions that were made in the 1990 ATSDR Health Assessment, regarding the site being of potential public health concern, would only be partially true. As long as the site remains secure from site trespassers, it is unlikely that exposure to contaminants, resulting in adverse health effects, would occur. Site trespassers could be exposed to site contaminants at levels of public health concern, but due to the nature of the contact with the site (ATV ridding) and type of contaminants (mostly iron oxide) they would be exposed to, adverse health effects seem unlikely. The iron oxide material did not appear to create dust, which further reduces its ability to cause exposure.
Currently, there are no completed exposure pathways associated with the American Cyanamid site as a result of the continued groundwater pumping from the production wells. The original determination that human exposure to hazardous substances probably occurred in the past remains valid. This conclusion was made because residents may have been exposed to contaminants in the past. However, there are no monitoring data or other information available to indicate if exposure
Jeffrey J. Winegar Program Specialist; ATSDR Health Assessment Project Environmental Health Service New Jersey Department of Health
