CAPE MAY — Representatives of Jersey Central Power and Light (JCP&L) have responded to a Nov. 25 Herald in which Allen W. Hatheway, a geological engineer with 47 years of experience with manufactured gas plants, suggested a gas plant here set up dumps in the vicinity where public housing was built, and a well may have pierced the aquifer.
Ron Morano, JCP&L senior public relations representative, said JCP&L has been working with city officials and the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) on a comprehensive physical analysis of the former gas plant site and the surrounding areas to insure that the utility identifies and properly remediates the areas that have been affected by the operations of the plant. He said existing documents and maps have been reviewed.
Harry Slagle, supervisor of site remediation for JCP&L, said issues raised by Hatheway were looked at the early stages of investigating the gas plant site.
The gas plant in Cape May operated from 1853 to 1937, producing gas from coal for lighting, heating and cooking and left behind in the ground coal tars, benzene and naphthalene among other toxic chemicals. The gas plant site was inherited by JCP&L which is responsible for a cleanup of the site.
Hatheway said gas plant operations historically have set up dumpsites near the plant, and Cape May’s public housing may be located on old dump locations. Hatheway said there was the possibility of vapor intrusion from Volatile Organic Compounds.
Slagle said JCP&L had evaluated that possibility for the site and provided that data to DEP.
“They have approved our work and have concurred with our conclusion that at this particular site, vapor intrusion it is not an issue,” he said.
Slagle said he did not believe there were dump sites adjacent to the gas plant. He said JCP&L undertook a thorough review of historical records of the site.
Hatheway also suggested an old well indicated on a Sanborn map from 1890 could have pierced a protective layer of clay offering a path of intrusion for contaminants into the aquifer.
Slagle said JCP&L installed four deep groundwater monitoring wells at the request of DEP, which indicated the deep aquifer below the clay layer is not impacted by the gas plant site. He said DEP concurred with JCP&L’s conclusion.
Hatheway said it was likely the gas plant operation dumped wastewater into Cape Island Creek behind the site.
Ken Seborowski, project manager/geologist for JCP&L, said an ongoing investigation was looking at water quality in the creek and creek sediment.
He said JCP&L still needed to identify and resolve issues in the wetlands. Some contamination has been found there closer to the surface.
Seborowski said previous sampling of water from the creek indicated the quality of water had not been impacted by the gas plant.
“There were some low level concentrations of some PAHs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons) which we find on the site as well as in the creek itself,” he said.
He said investigative work would take place in the wetlands this week.
Seborowski said a planned remediation of Wise-Anderson Park and a portion of the wetlands, which will follow the submission and approval by DEP of a remedial action work plan, is expected to begin in September 2013.
Since the Herald published its Nov. 25 story, Hatheway examined additional maps and layouts of the gas plant. He told the Herald he questioned where the location of a third gas holder may be on the site.
Hatheway said a carbureted water gas machine (CWG), which was installed at the plant to supplement the original 1853 coal-gas installation, would have required three functional gas holders which “must mean there was another plot of land adjacent to the 1890 layout containing the storage holder.”
Seborowski said Sanborn maps have been used to identify the location of old structures at the plant site. About a month ago, he said JCP&L did non-intrusive geophysical investigations to identify where structures were located.
At least two of the former gas holders were excavated. An Atlantic City Press story indicated two underground structures were removed from the ground in April 1996.
The story said the smell of tar was apparent around a six-foot pit between St. John’s Street and Vance’s Bar at that time.
JCP&L will be present at Cape May City Council’s Dec. 15 meeting at 7 p.m. to answer questions from the public.
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