The Sewaren Peninsula is a former
dredged-materials disposal site located along the Arthur Kill in
Woodbridge Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey. This 31-acre waterfront
parcel was selected for redevelopment by the Township of Woodbridge
and the Middlesex County Improvement Authority (MCIA). The Township and MCIA
retained Najarian Associates to secure all environmental permits
needed to redevelop the site as a public waterfront park
facility. Using monies
provided by NJDEP’s Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund
(HDSRF), Najarian Associates conducted preliminary site
investigations in accordance with a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)
executed between NJDEP and Woodbridge Township. The environmental Site
Investigations (SI) indicated that elevated levels of Arsenic were
present throughout the site, while elevated levels of Beryllium and
Lead were confined to isolated areas within the property. Due diligence investigations
conducted by Najarian Associates determined that the on-site
contamination was a result of the deposited dredged materials (8-19
feet deep) originating from the adjacent waterways.
As a result of
these findings, the redevelopment project was postponed until
funding sources for site remediation could be identified. Faced with this challenge,
Najarian Associates prepared and submitted a Spill Fund Application
on behalf of the Township of Woodbridge. Based on our
submission, NJDEP agreed to completely fund the remediation project
of approximately 2 million dollars. Once funding
was secured, a Remedial Action Work Plan (RAWP) was prepared and
approved by NJDEP. The plan
called for removal of isolated "hot spots" and capping of the
site with 2 feet of clean fill
material.
Following its
completion in 2002, the redeveloped site provides approximately 25
acres of parkland for passive recreational activities. This project is an excellent
example of rendering a polluted, dredge-disposal site (i.e., a
Brownfield) into a public waterfront park (Greenfield).
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Najarian Associates
