DeRewal Chemical Company

Site Description

From 1970 to 1973, the DeRewal Chemical Company used the 8-acre site for the storage of chemicals, which included a range of metals, acid solutions, and fertilizer nutrients and associated compounds. Numerous chemical spills were reported in 1973, including one incident in which the contents of a tank truck containing an acidic chromium solution were allowed to drain onto the soil. The DeRewal Chemical Company ceased operations at the site around 1974. The site is adjacent to the Delaware River, which is used for. The total population of Kingwood Township is approximately 3,800 people, and while there are several residences located near the site, none of the residents' potable wells have been contaminated by the site. The groundwater is contaminated with VOCs, such as trichloroethene and tetrachloroethene, as well as cadmium.

Current Site Status and Cleanup Actions to Date

• In 1991, EPA installed a system to treat the water found in the on-site residential well, and has continuously tested the nearby potable wells. High levels of contamination have not been found in these wells.
• In 1996, EPA recovered more than 3,000 Native American artifacts from the site, many dating back more than 1,000 years. EPA, in cooperation with Kingwood Township, transferred all the artifacts to the Township where they are on display. In addition, following the completion of the soil cleanup, the State of New Jersey bought part of the site and obtained a conservation easement on another portion of the site to incorporate these areas into the Delaware River Greenway. The site has an active bike path and is used for other passive recreation.
• In 1997, EPA demolished the buildings found on the site, and in 1998, it excavated and removed approximately 60,000 tons of contaminated soil from the site. EPA has continued to monitor the groundwater to determine whether additional cleanup work would be required. A review of the data indicated that contaminant levels were still fairly high, and EPA designed a plan to remove the contaminated groundwater from the site. for off-site treatment.
• EPA continues to monitor the site to ensure there is no immediate threat to human health or the environment pending the start of long-term cleanup work.

Current Funding Status

• Thus far, EPA has provided approximately $18 million to conduct cleanup work at this site.
• In Fiscal Year 2003, an additional $2 million of remedial action funds was obligated at this site to remove the remaining contaminated groundwater from the site.

For more information on this site, please read the Fact Sheet (PDF 156KB, 3 pages) on the Region 2 Superfund Web site.

Key Accomplishments