HOWELL – Dozens of Howell and Farmingdale residents showed up at a meeting with fervent attempts to uncover details regarding the discovery of unknown toxic materials found at 15 Marl Road.
Compounders, Inc., owns the 7.7-acre newly fenced-off site located just south of the Farmingdale border adjacent to the railroad near the intersection of Preventorium Road and Railroad Avenue, and Marl Road.
The informational session hosted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) included representatives from both the federal agency and members of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Local officials also did their best to provide answers as residents voiced their concerns and grievances.
Decades ago, the property was approved for compounding materials used to produce adhesives. The site was classified as an asphalt and tar manufacturer in 1979, which involved cooling liquid asphalt and tar and storing it in drums.
Other operations on the site have included wax and resin melting, as well as Xylene/Xytol and gum resin. Three separate fires have occurred on the property over four decades, with the most recent one on February 9 causing alarm.
“Howell firefighters dispatched to the site found materials were being burned and found an old metal silo in the back of the structure,” said Matt Howard, Howell’s Director of Community Development and Land Use. “There was a really strong chemical odor at the time, and 200-300 drums were observed on the site.”
According to Howard, the drums are in poor condition, with many not only bulging and leaking but also rusted and dented. Reports indicate that smaller containers were also present in addition to the 55 gallon drums. Some of the drums were open, and there was evidence of spills and solid waste on the site.
The standard protocol called for reports made to the Monmouth County Board of Health, which alerted the DEP of the potential gravity of the situation. The EPA subsequently took over as the lead agency.
Preliminary steps taken by the federal agency include arranging for 24-hour security service to avoid the possibility of someone tampering with the containers. In addition, repairs to breaches in the front fence are intended to keep out trespassers and further remove the risk of imminent danger.
With the site secured, the next step is to remove the deteriorating drums from the property. Compounders, Inc., the potentially responsible party, has the option to conduct the removal action themselves.
“They’ve been very cooperative, and they’re working with us to secure the fence at this time,” said Michael Mannino, On-Scene Coordinator for the EPA. “They are currently reviewing a couple of cost estimates for removal contractors to make sure that people who are doing the work are properly certified and trained to do such work.”
The EPA has not yet entered the assessment phase of the project that would identify what compounds were present on the site. While some of the drums are labeled, Mannino said the information was decades old and not necessarily reliable.
“We don’t want to make an assumption based on old information,” Mannino explained. “We’re going to conduct an assessment with a potentially responsible party, Compounders, Inc. And we’re going to collect lab samples submitted and analyze it so we know exactly what the chemicals are that we’re handling or disposing of and will be providing those through community updates.”
The entire remediation process also includes working with the DEP to identify threats of contamination in the soil and groundwater.
Public Fears
There was an overwhelming sense of desperation as some residents sought answers that would bring them peace of mind concerning their health and safety.
One woman said she’d moved to the area from Toms River and recalled the trauma of living near the Ciba-Geigy Superfund site. Another gentleman contemplated whether his evolving health issues were related to contamination on the property. He also suggested his feline companion’s illness might be due to the cat licking its paws if dangerous substances were airborne or on the ground.
Authorities did not have answers regarding whether the site’s contaminants were airborne or had impacted groundwater or the soil. These are subject to investigation and analysis.
Other residents questioned whether a deadline had been set for the removal of the drums from the property. The short answer is that there are none. Federal law requires allowing the potentially responsible party to do the work. Enforcement mechanisms are in place if they do not conduct the process safely or correctly, which would result in the EPA taking over the site.
Several individuals expressed disappointment that they did not get what they considered adequate notice of potentially hazardous conditions – beginning with the chemical fire itself.
“I’d like to know why we weren’t notified by a robocall of people in that area,” said Ramey Allen of Farmingdale. “And had to find out – by someone at the grocery store.”
Howard said the township set up a separate page on its website to disseminate information about the site and made announcements on both social media and local newspapers. Other residents reiterated their distress about the notification process.
“We should be going to our local news stations,” Elizabeth Biernacki of Farmingdale suggested. “We should be aware of where to contact even if the robocall said take precautions and follow the website. It’s just kind of common sense.”
Shereen Kandill, a Community Involvement Coordinator for the EPA, said that she was happy to listen to suggestions regarding the best methods of communication from the federal agency. She volunteered to knock on doors or show up at grocery stores to keep people informed.
Information regarding the site and continuing work can be found at response.epa.gov/CompoundersInc or on Howell’s webpage.
Evacuation Route Established
Although federal and local authorities do not believe there is a threat of imminent danger, an evacuation route has been established. Details can be found on the township’s website.
Victor Cook, Howell Emergency Management Director, stressed that the implementation of the evacuation plan was intended to be proactive to prepare residents in the event something did happen.
The one-mile radius around the contaminated site includes three public schools and two day care centers.
“We have been in touch with the schools,” reassured Cook. “They have a reunification plan in place for their schools. We also have places in the township where we are going to set up to reunify families and to check in if people need to leave their houses.”
Cook said that the township has also made arrangements with the Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management to secure buses should an evacuation plan become necessary.
