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ALLOWS CLEAN UP OF SCRAP YARD TO BEGIN
Company's Failure to
Act Leads to Shutdown
(05/11) TRENTON -- Department of Environmental Protection
(DEP) Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell today applauded the Superior
Court for directing the Boro Auto Wrecking Company in South Plainfield
to cease operations and for allowing the DEP unfettered access
for 18 months to clean up the contaminated scrap yard. In addition,
the court ordered Boro Auto to pay DEP a penalty of $25,250.
"I commend the court for recognizing the urgent need to
address contamination at this significantly polluted facility,"
said Commissioner Campbell. "The shutdown of this facility
is long overdue after years of stalling by the responsible party.
We are determined to clean up this site to help protect the Raritan
River watershed."
In November, Attorney General Peter Harvey filed a motion in
the Superior Court, Chancery Division, Middlesex County on behalf
of the DEP calling for the closure of Boro Auto. Judge Travis
L. Francis issued his order on February 4, 2005.
"Boro Auto Wrecking has contaminated land in South Plainfield
with PCBs, gasoline and other hazardous substances, which put
at risk the health of children and adults living in this community,"
said Attorney General Harvey. "Acting at our request, the
Court has stopped the polluting activity of this company. We will
continue to protect New Jersey's land, water and air through aggressive
environmental enforcement."
"It is impossible to commend Commissioner Campbell adequately
for his steadfast determination to remove this environmental hazard
that has been left unattended for nearly 20 years," Assemblyman
Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr. said. "As a lifelong resident of
South Plainfield, it is reassuring to know that the health and
safety of those who live in our borough are a top priority to
the Department of Environmental Protection."
DEP has authorized $500,000 to begin publicly funded testing
and cleanup work at the Boro Auto Wrecking Site. Among the hazardous
substances contaminating the site and threatening nearby natural
resources are PCBs and petroleum hydrocarbons.
DEP's initial scope of work calls for the classification and
removal of on-site waste piles. Also, the site will be graded,
a cap installed, and a stormwater collection and treatment system
installed to prevent pollution of area water resources. A remedial
investigation will determine the extent of off-site contamination.
DEP's remedy also calls for the excavation of PCB soils and off-site
disposal.
Boro Auto is a salvage and metal recycling facility that had
been in operation since 1936. It processed automobile engines
and transmissions and other types of scrap metal.
Previous investigations performed by the company found soil and
ground water contamination from the company's operations. Tests
of off-site properties revealed soil contamination from stormwater
coming from the site. The state was forced to take this latest
action after Boro Auto's failure to perform remedial investigations
and actions required by a 1990 DEP administrative consent order
(ACO), a 1997 judicial consent order and a 2003 DEP ACO.
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