Text Box: According to Mr. Ted Gabel, Project Manger for Environmental Restoration, Picatinny Arsenal at which BRAC concerns were recently allayed is now experiencing a building boom and several new structures are expected. The expansion is a result of personnel and mission transfers to Picatinny Arsenal as part of BRAC changes. Clearly some construction activities may result in a suitable remedy – for example, the construction of a building foundation over an area of shallow soil contamination. These remedies may be appropriate but application of the remedy must still follow proper notification to the regulatory agencies and to the public. This issue was recently referred to in the following USEPA comment about a Picatinny Arsenal site. Text Box: Provided below is the text of an August 1, 2006 letter from the USEPA to Picatinny Arsenal regarding construction activities at CERCLA sites: Text Box: Construction, remedy or both?

POINTS OF INTEREST:

· Michael Glaab was re-elected to another one-year term as community co-chair for the RAB at the last RAB meeting on June 15, 2006.

· The next RAB meeting will be held on September 28, 2006 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Hilton Garden Inn in Rockaway, New Jersey.  Members of the public are invited to attend the meeting.  Topics to be covered include PBC sites update, 5-year review, and MMRP update.

· The next MMRP stakeholders meeting is scheduled for October 11th.  The purpose of the meeting is to review findings of the historical records review.

 

NJDEP Staffing

2

Internet Training

2

IAP Meeting

2

Cost to Complete

3

MMRP VS. IRP

3

ARCADIS

3

Letter to Editor

4

 

PBC Schedule

5

 

Site Remedies

6

Text Box: The Picatinny Arsenal Environmental Restoration Advisory Board’s TAPP Contractor presents

SUMMER 2006

Volume 3, issue 3
Text Box: Environmental Happenings At Picatinny Arsenal Text Box: IN THE FIELD….. Text Box: Recent field activities for April, May, June, and July 2006 included the following: ESTCP Groundwater Demonstration Project Drilling activities behind Building 823. (April) Southern Boundary Area Groundwater Sampling Collection of groundwater Text Box: samples from monitoring wells in the following locations: off Route 15 near the Picatinny truck gate, near the visitors center, and across Route 15 at the Pond View Estates property. (May) 600 Area Groundwater Investigation Groundwater sampling in open boreholes. Text Box: (April) Performance of packer tests and collection of groundwater samples from the boreholes in the 600 Building area. (June) Drilling and installation of a well near Building 650. Completion of monitoring well installation and well

continued on page 4
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“EPA recently submitted comments (7/27/06) on the feasibility study (FS) for Buildings 31 and 33 in which four comments were made on the

 

apparent ineffectiveness of institutional controls at Picatinny Arsenal.  At four of the five areas (AOCs) of concern addressed in the FS for Buildings 31 and 33, the results of construction activities that took place at these AOCs were cited as de facto remedies or as impediments to alternative remedies such as removal actions or injection activity. 

In our discussion regarding those comments today, you informed me that these construction activities were discussed at meetings in the past and documented in meeting minutes. I don’t doubt that that is the case. However, in the future, it is requested that the Army notify EPA and NJDEP in advance of any construction activity that may affect the remedy of a CERCLA site by letter. In addition to detailing the proposed construction, the letter should

describe how the construction will impact possible or selected remedial activities at the site. EPA and NJDEP should approve these construction activities before they are initiated.  In addition, the RAB should be

briefed on these activities as they may become the default remedy for the AOCs as they did at Building 31 and 33.”