Magic Marker Site Fact Sheet

Name: Trenton (3) Magic Marker Site

Address: 467 Calhoun

City/State: Trenton, NJ

SITE DESCRIPTION

Acreage: 7.50

The site is located in a densely populated residential area at 467 Calhoun Street, Trenton. The property includes an industrial building which stands directly across the street from the neighborhood's elementary school. Although the last owner, Magic Marker Industries, is not suspected of contributing significantly to the contamination of the property, the site is commonly known as the "Magic Marker Site."

SITE HISTORY

Historically, a battery manufacturer acquired this site in the mid 1930's for use as a commercial lead acid battery manufacturer, using the site for seven years before selling it to another battery company. This second manufacturer continued operations as a battery manufacturing plant until the early 1980's. During. this time, the manufacturer expanded the site it became known as one of the most advanced commercial battery manufacturing plants on the east coast. During the after years of battery production, local residents began to notice and complain about an offensive smell emanating from the factory. Even now, residents continue to complain of chemical smells emanating from the abandoned building.

Throughout the 1980's the site housed the manufacturing plant for Magic Marker Industries, makers of the famous felt tip pens. At its peak, the site provided nearly 200 jobs. However, the company experienced numerous financial troubles and finally filed for bankruptcy in 1989.

ZONING RESTRICTIONS

Enterprise Community/Empowerment Zone (ECEZ): No

New Jersey State Urban Enterprise Zone: Yes

Other: Yes

The site is located in a City of Trenton Redevelopment Area .

PROPERTY ACCESS/TRANSPORTATION

General Information:

Highway: Yes

Approximately 2 miles from Route 1.

Rail: Yes

Approximately 2 miles from train station.

Airport: Yes

Approximately 10 miles from regional airport and 30 miles from international airport.

Waterway: Yes

Approximately 1 mile from Delaware River (no access).

UTILITIES

General Information:

All utilities are available from Calhoun or Marion Streets.

Storm Sewer: Yes

Sanitation Sewer: Yes

Water: Yes

Electricity: Yes

Gas: Yes

Telecommunications: Yes

SURROUNDING AREA/NEIGHBORHOOD

The site is located in a densely populated residential area and stands directly across the street from the neighborhood’s elementary school.

ADJACENT PROPERTY USES

General Information:

North:

Industrial/residential

South:

School and firehouse

East:

Residential

West:

Commercial

ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION

General Information:

In July 1997, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) requested EPA to conduct an investigation of the former Magic marker site. EPA found approximately 200 steel

and plastic drums, some in deteriorated condition, containing a wide variety of chemicals. EPA also found evidence of unauthorized access and minor vandalism to the site. The agency determined that the potential for direct contact by the public with the chemicals inside the building posed a public health threat.

In November 1997, EPA began the cleanup. At the request of the NJDEP, EPA conducted a removal action at the site which cost approximately $450,000 and was financed through the removal authority of the federal superfund program.

EPA first began stabilizing the conditions inside the building by separating the drums by type and over packing the corroded drums in new containers. Later, the agency sampled waste containers to identify their specific contents in order to arrange for the safe transport and off-site disposal of the waste to the appropriate federal and state regulated facilities.

In the course of the cleanup, EPA increased existing security measures and made repairs to the 8-foot barb wire-topped fence encircling the seven-acre site to further prevent any potential health threat to the public though direct contact with the hazardous materials until these materials could be removed properly. As a precaution, EPA also sampled areas of the property within the immediate vicinity of the building and determined there was no contamination outside the building that needed to be addressed during the removal action.

Phase 1: Yes

A Preliminary Assessment has been completed.

Phase II: Yes

An expanded Site Investigation is ongoing.

Risk Assessment/Other:

No information provided

No Further Remedial Action Planned (NFRAP):

No information provided

Site Contaminants and Concentrations - Soil: Yes

Lead and others

Site Contaminants and Concentrations - Groundwater: Yes

Lead and others

Site Contaminants and Concentrations - Surface Water: No

Site Contaminants and Concentrations - Air: No

Exposure Pathways: Yes

Direct contact with soils.

Underground Tanks:

Undetermined

Aboveground Tanks/Drums/Barrels:

Undetermined

Waste Volumes:

Undetermined

Permits: No

Site Investigation Methods: No

Remediation Activities: Yes

Phytoremediation (see Innovative Technologies below)

Innovative Technologies: Yes

Phytotech, a research corporation, is conducting an experimental cleanup program at the site. The program uses Indian mustard plants to remove some of the lead and the heavy metals fro contaminated soil in a process called phytoremediation. Community members participated in- the planting of the Indian mustard plants on a portion of the site designated for the pilot project.

Phytoremediation (using plants to remove pollution from soil and water) is an important emerging environmental cleanup technology. Due to the technology's relatively low cost, minimal site constraints, and its pleasing appearance, remediation is particularly suitable for abandoned industrial sites or "Brownfields" like the Magic Marker site. Phytotech, a local biotechnology company, is conducting this study to evaluate the effectiveness of using plants to remove metals from surface soils at the site.

Lead contamination of the surface soils and the building's interior are the greatest environmental concerns at the Magic Marker site. To address the contamination in the surface soils, Phytotech has planted a special variety of mustard plant in hopes that the plants will draw much of the lead out of the soil and into the plants' leaves. Initial estimates suggest that each of the first three harvests of the mustard plants have removed approximately 20-30 parts per million of lead from the top 18 inches of soil where most of the lead exists. Phytotech anticipates that it will take about three years to reduce lead contamination in the soils from an average of 1000 parts per million to 400 parts per million, the residential soil cleanup criteria set by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). The mustard plants already harvested at the site have absorbed so much lead that their tissues contain up to 0.3% lead by weight. Phytotech is also evaluating the use of other plants such as sunflowers, corn and pumpkins and the use of different soil amendments to increase the removal of lead from the surface soils.

FUTURE PLANS FOR SITE

Future Plans: Yes

Mixed use including residential, neighborhood commercial & open space.

EPA ACTIVITIES AT SITE

EPA Activities: Yes

At the request of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), EPA conducted a removal action at the site. See Environmental Information -General information section. The Magic Marker site is part of Innovative Technologies Oversight (SITE Program)

STATE ACTIVITIES AT SITE

State Activities: Yes

NJDEP conducted a Preliminary Assessment and some sampling work.

NON-EPA AND NON-STATE ACTIVITIES AT SITE

Non-EPA and Non-State Activities: Yes

The city has foreclosed on the property and is formulating direction for redevelopment of the site.

GROUPS INVOLVED IN SITE REDEVELOPMENT

General Information:

Trenton's unique approach to community inclusion in the technical process of remediation, planning and redevelopment strongly influenced the EPA'S decision to award Trenton the Brownfields grant. The city, in cooperation with Isles, Inc., will continue to insure that neighborhoods play an active role in the cleanup and eventual reuse of the site.

Universities: Yes

New Jersey Institute of Technology

Local Affiliations: Yes

Isles, Inc.

Community: Yes

Northwest Community Improvement Association (NCIA)

Other: No

ECONOMIC INFORMATION

General Information:

Real Estate Taxes: No

The property is city owned and generates no taxes.

Special Assessments:

Undetermined

Financing Incentives:

Undetermined

Enterprise Community/Empowerment Zone (ECEZ): No

Funding Activities - EPA Assistance:

EPA removal funds ($450,000) financed through the removal authority of the federal Superfund program.

Funding Activities - Other:

No information provided

ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF REDEVELOPMENT

Economic impacts are expected to be significant.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF REDEVELOPMENT

Removal of hazards

COMMUNITY IMPACTS OF REDEVELOPMENT

In 1993, the NJDEP awarded Isles, Inc. a small grant to develop a program to educate and involve local neighborhoods in the cleanup and reuse of a contaminated site. Given its continued impact on the community, the Magic Marker site was chosen as a model.

In early 1994, the first community meeting discussing the project was held in the neighborhood surrounding Magic Marker. Over the next year, as many neighborhood meetings were held, support for the project flourished. The first several meetings attracted not only local community residents, but also city officials, members of the environmental community and regulators. Each meeting introduced complicated issues ranging from the explanation of current regulations and cleanup standards to the discussion of responsibility for payment of cleanup.

A number of community members attended seminars and conferences to expand their knowledge of the cleanup process; local residents initiated beautification projects; and in 1996 President Clinton and Vice-President Gore invited a number of residents to Farleigh Dickinson University where they heard a major policy address on the environment and "Brownfields."

The community also took action in response to other issues arising in their neighborhood. The community recently formed the Northwest Community Improvement Association (NCIA), which works not only on Magic Marker but also maintains and builds community momentum to make the neighborhood a better place to live and raise children.

Trenton Sites Index

Regional Brownfields Hotline (800) 346-5009

For information, contact: brownfields.r2@epa.gov

Magic Marker Site Fact Sheet

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