Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Exxon Bayway Refining Company in Linden, New Jersey
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Site Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Site Responsibility
Cleanup Status
The Exxon Bayway Refining Company (now ExxonMobil) has conducted a number of cleanups at the site including: covering the landfill to prevent rainwater from infiltrating it; excavating leaking tanks and contaminated soils; and stabilizing some soils by mixing them with cement to prevent the chemicals in them from moving. Additional areas of contaminated soils have been cleaned up and covered.
To address the groundwater contamination, numerous wells, collection trenches and subsurface walls have been installed to control and pump the contaminated groundwater out and treat it. Currently, ExxonMobil operates eight groundwater cleanup systems at the site. Two additional systems are in the design or construction phase and are expected to be operational within the next two years. Thousands of gallons per day of contaminated groundwater are being pumped out and treated in the onsite wastewater treatment plant. Interim cleanup actions, consisting of recovering free product from wells and sumps and a barrier to absorb free product, are currently conducted in several areas.
Additional investigation and evaluation of the site is being conducted under the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) oversight to address any additional areas of soil, groundwater, surface water and sediment contamination that may need to be cleaned up.
The results of the current investigation will determine whether any additional cleanup measures are needed at the Exxon Bayway site. Under an Administrative Consent Order from NJDEP, the contaminated groundwater at the site will continue to be monitored and treated.
Site Description
The Exxon Bayway Refining Company (now ExxonMobil) site is situated on approximately 1,300 acres at 1400 Park Avenue, in the city of Linden in Union County, New Jersey. Exxon had been producing petroleum products at this facility since 1909. The site was sold to The Oil Shale Corporation (Tosco) and subsequently to Phillips Petroleum, which merged with Conoco to form ConocoPhillips. The ownership of the refinery was transferred from ConocoPhillips to Phillips 66 in 2012, which currently operates the refinery. However, ExxonMobil is still responsible for on-going remediation. The main part of the facility consists of a refinery, two chemical plants, tank fields and a distribution station. Land in the vicinity of the site is used for residential, commercial, and industrial purposes.
Contaminants at this Facility
Various locations of contamination within the site have been identified and delineated. Soil and groundwater contamination consists of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX) and chemicals associated with petroleum refining (volatile organic compounds, semi-volatile organic compounds, petroleum hydrocarbons, polyaromatic hydrocarbons) and metals (arsenic, lead).
Site Responsibility at this Facility
The cleanup of the site is being conducted pursuant to an Administrative Consent Order (ACO) entered into by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and Exxon Corporation (now ExxonMobil) in 1991, and amended in 1993 and 1994.