Contaminated Concrete Set to be Removed in New Jersey

The removal of some 100,000 tons of contaminated concrete from the demolished Ford Motor Co. plant in Edison, N.J., is underway, according to a report in the Sentinel (Edison, N.J.).

The site contains concrete fill that tested positive for elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a compound banned from production in the United States in 1977 because of negative health effects.

Some of the material was trucked to development sites in New Jersey’s Middlesex, Mercer and Ocean counties for re-use, according to the report. Ford officials have said risk to site workers and the public is minimal because of the low levels of PCBs detected, however the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has order the material removed from these sites as well.

Approximately 60,000 cubic yards of debris will be removed from the site of the plant. It will be sorted and tested to see whether it is safe to be landfilled or must be treated as hazardous waste.