Workers spray water as a part of PPG’s dust-suppression plan as an excavator loads a truck with chromium-impacted soil and debris.

JERSEY CITY, N.J., Dec. 23, 2013 – The second phase of the environmental cleanup at Metropolis Towers is under way.

Workers are excavating chromium-impacted soil and debris in the south parking lot, which is located between the twin 21-story residential buildings.

Dust-control measures and continuous air monitoring are in place and will be continued throughout the excavation. Members of the Chromium Cleanup Partnership described the multiple and overlapping health and safety measures in a meeting with residents before work began. Click here to see presentation.

Since the meeting with residents, PPG’s contractor developed a plan that has enabled the main gate on Montgomery Street to remain open. To permit vehicular and pedestrian access for residents and guests, a Jersey City police officer is directing traffic when construction trucks need to enter and exit the cleanup at the gate. Previously, the main gate was to be used for construction traffic only.

Phase No. 2 of the cleanup is expected to be complete in the first quarter of next year. The third and final phase, located in the plaza, is expected to begin immediately afterward and conclude in September.

With soil cleanup complete, workers pave lot at corner of Garfield and Union.

JERSEY CITY, N.J., Nov. 26, 2013 – PPG Industries has completed its environmental cleanup of soil at the corner of Garfield Avenue and Union Street, otherwise known as Site No. 186.

PPG dug up the chromium-impacted material, some of which extended onto the north side of the Metropolitan Family Health Network property. The material was then hauled away to licensed disposal facilities and replaced with clean fill.

Laboratory results confirmed PPG has met NJDEP’s cleanup requirements at both Site No. 186 and the health network property. According to all post-excavation sampling results, the cleanup is complete.

Air samples collected during the excavation were will within safety limits for concentrations of hexavalent chromium.

Chromium-impacted soil will be excavated from Site No. 186 and the Metropolitan Family Health Network property.

JERSEY CITY, N.J., Oct. 31, 2013 – Chromium-impacted soil will be excavated today and tomorrow near the fence line separating two properties at the intersection of Garfield Avenue and Union Street.

Workers will dig a trench the length of the fence on the south side of Site No. 186. In addition, workers will remove a limited amount of impacted soil located just beyond the site boundary on Metropolitan Family Health Network property. The soil from both excavations will be hauled away and replaced with clean fill.

An investigation conducted earlier this month in a grassy area on the northeast corner of the health facility property revealed no visible signs of chromate chemical production waste, or CCPW. The laboratory results from one soil sample, however, exceeded New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection cleanup criteria. As a result, PPG will dig up and haul away soil from the area where that sample was collected.

Dust-control measures and continuous air monitoring will be in place during the cleanup. Both are part of the health and safety practices in use at all PPG cleanup sites, which have been proven to be effective in preventing human exposure.

Earlier this week workers excavated soil on Site No. 186 next to the sidewalk on Garfield Avenue, which required the installation of a temporary sidewalk.

JERSEY CITY, N.J., Oct. 29, 2013 – A temporary sidewalk has been built so that pedestrians can walk along Garfield Avenue while a portion of the sidewalk is closed this week to accommodate workers removing chromium-impacted soil on the eastern side of Site No. 186 that might extend under a portion of the sidewalk.

Pedestrians will be able to navigate the temporary sidewalk safely as jersey barriers will protect them from vehicles. Robust dust control measures and continuous air monitoring, meanwhile, will keep potential chromium exposure below strict safety limits established by NJDEP. Dust control measures and air monitoring are part of the health and safety practices in place at all PPG cleanup sites, which have been proven to be effective in preventing human exposure.

PPG is scheduled to conduct a cleanup this winter in Dennis Collins Park, which is also known as Hudson County Chromium Site No. 174.

BAYONNE, N.J., Oct. 24, 2013 – PPG Industries is collecting soil samples in Dennis Collins Park this month as part of the company’s continuing investigation of chromate chemical production waste, or CCPW, placed in the ground as fill.

When conducting an environmental cleanup in the park in April, representatives for PPG discovered additional CCPW beyond what was anticipated based on previous investigations. Under New Jersey law, responsible parties such as PPG are required to clean up contaminated sites according to environmental requirements. The cleanup standard at all PPG sites includes the removal of all visible CCPW, which is a byproduct of the chromium manufacturing process.

As a result, PPG has undertaken additional investigations to determine the extent of the additional CCPW. During an investigation in September, PPG took a series of steps, which have been approved and inspected by representatives for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, to prevent human exposure to the CCPW until a permanent cleanup can be conducted.

The preventive measures include:

• Removing CCPW near the ground surface at several locations;

• Covering these areas with plastic liner topped off with 4 inches of soil and 3 inches of sod; and

• Placing fence around each location.

In addition, PPG’s environmental consultant is conducting regular inspections of the park with representatives for NJDEP, which has jurisdiction over PPG’s investigation and cleanup work.

A series of proven health and safety measures – including air monitoring – will be in place when PPG’s contractors are drilling beneath the ground surface to collect soil samples. Based on information from the samples, PPG is scheduled to conduct a cleanup in the park this winter.

Excavation this Saturday on the Metropolitan Family Health Network property includes trenches and test pits as shown above.

JERSEY CITY, N.J., Oct. 10, 2013 – The presence of visible chrome waste underneath a parking lot being cleaned up lot on Garfield Avenue has prompted the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to ask PPG Industries to continue excavation beyond the lot's property line. The additional excavation is to determine whether chrome waste goes beyond the property line requiring additional cleanup.

Last month PPG’s environmental consultants discovered more chromite ore processing residue, or COPR, than was expected based on previous investigations at Site No. 186, a parking lot situated at the corner of Garfield Avenue and Union Street. Moreover, some of the material was located near the property line with the Metropolitan Family Health Network.

As a result, workers this Saturday will advance excavation within a grassy area on the grounds of the clinic at 935 Garfield Ave., so they can conduct a visual inspection of the soil. Any COPR observed during this work will be removed and soil samples will be collected and sent to a laboratory for analysis.

Previous investigations of the Metropolitan Family Health Center, including the collection of soil samples, have found no physical evidence of COPR on site.

The health and safety measures in place at all PPG cleanup sites, which have been proven to be effective in exposure prevention, will be in use during the work at the Metropolitan Family Health Network.