E. I. DuPont

Fact Sheet, March 2000

River Cleanup is Finished!

Map showing locations of dredge areas.
The Christina River flows between the North and South Landfills of the DuPont-Newport Site.

Dredging: Underwater work using equipment to scoop up sediment.
Sediments: Small grains of rock, soil, sand or clay in the water that, over time, settle into layers at the bottom of the waterway.

In order to protect the aquatic life in the Christina River, DuPont dredged three areas of the river to remove contaminated sediments. After digging was done, workers filled the holes with clean sediments. The riverbank was replanted with plants native to the area. These plants will help stop erosion, and provide habitat for river life.

Dredged areas were isolated by temporary steel walls, also called “sheet pile” walls. These walls kept contaminants from moving away from the dredged areas during the project. Although work at times blocked over one-half of the river’s width, all work was done safely and without accident or injury.

The dredging took about six months to finish. Dredged sediments were put in the South Landfill, which DuPont will eventually cap. The cap will stop water from running through the contaminated material, becoming contaminated, and reaching the groundwater.

The EPA, DNREC, DuPont, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers worked together to improve the cleanup. DuPont removed additional sediments, beyond EPA’s original requirements. Because of this, continued sediment monitoring is not required.

What is in this sediment?

As part of past factory operations, waste was disposed in two landfills. This waste contained metals, including lead, cadmium, zinc, barium, mercury, and copper. At times, these landfill wastes flowed into the nearby wetlands and the Christina River. This contributed to the river sediment pollution.

Cleanup Details

DuPont dredged 2.9 acres of the river. Workers removed nearly 12,000 cubic yards of polluted sediments. That’s enough to cover a football field with a layer of sediments over seven feet thick!

Next Steps

Remaining work involves: treating wastes in the South Landfill, capping both North and South Landfills, plus recovering the polluted groundwater. We will keep you updated on the progress that’s being made.

For More Information

If you have questions or comments about the DuPont-Newport Site, please contact one of the EPArepresentatives listed below:

Community Involvement Coordinator
Lisa Brown
US EPA Region III
1650 Arch Street (3HS43)
Philadelphia, PA 19103
800-553-2509
215- 814-5528
brown.lisa@epa.gov

Remedial Project Manager
Randy Sturgeon
US EPA Region III
1650 Arch Street (3HS23)
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215-814-3227
sturgeon.randy@epa.gov

ADMINISTRATIVE RECORD LOCATIONS

You can find a set of public information files about this site and its cleanup at these locations:

Kirkwood Library
6000 Kirkwood Highway
Wilmington, DE 19801
302-995-7663

Newport Town Hall
15 North Augustine Street
Newport, DE 19804
302-994-6403

VISIT EPA’S SUPERFUND PROGRAM VIA THE INTERNET

Information from EPA Region III: http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/
Information from EPA Headquarters: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/

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