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NPL Site Narrative for Raritan Bay Slag
RARITAN BAY SLAG
Old Bridge Township / Sayreville, New Jersey
Middlesex County
Site Location
The Raritan Bay Slag site consists of a sea wall and jetty of lead-contaminated slag deposition located along the southern shore of the Raritan Bay in Old Bridge Township and Sayreville, Middlesex County, New Jersey.
Site History
In September 1972, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) was advised by a local government official that lead-bearing waste material was being disposed of along the Laurence Harbor beachfront on Raritan Bay. NL Industries, Inc. (NL) acknowledged that metallic slag waste from blast furnace and blast furnace rubble were disposed of at their property in Old Bridge Township. Old Bridge officials worked with NJDEP to notify the public in writing about health concerns for the lead waste material and restricted access by means of signage and some fencing. However, due to physical constraints, it was not practical to completely fence off contaminated areas.
Site Contamination/Contaminants
The contaminant of concern is lead. Analytical results from sampling in 2007 found lead at concentrations as high as 142,000 parts per million at the jetty and seawall.
Potential Impacts on Surrounding Community/Environment
Lead?contaminated slag, associated with the western jetty of the Cheesequake Creek Inlet and the Laurence Harbor Seawall, was observed to be in direct contact with the Raritan Bay. The Raritan Bay is a fishery and a sensitive environment (i.e., a sensitive area identified under the National Estuary Program and a state-designated water body for the maintenance of aquatic life).
Response Activities (to date)
In September 2008, EPA collected surface and subsurface soil, surface water, and sediment samples in the area of the seawall and the jetty. Waste (i.e., slag) samples were also collected from the slag that forms portions of the seawall and jetty. Analytical data from this investigation is pending.
Need for NPL Listing
The State of New Jersey referred the site to EPA because limited site access restrictions previously implemented at the site would not adequately protect human health and the environment for an extended time due to the lead contamination remaining on the seawall and a portion of the public beach, both part of Waterfront Park and along the Raritan Bay in the Laurence Harbor portion of Old Bridge. Other federal and state cleanup programs were evaluated, but none were viable for this site.
[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was evaluated with the HRS. The description may change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See 56 FR 5600, February 11, 1991, or subsequent FR notices.]
For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet at ATSDR - ToxFAQs (http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html) or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.