OSWER/OSRTI Washington, DC 20460



## N ATIONAL 

## P RIORITIES 

## L IST 

## (NPL)

***Final Site*** September 2011 

### G

ARFIELD GROUND WATER Garfield, New Jersey Bergen County CONTAMINATION

 **Site Location :** 
The G arfield Ground W ater Contamination s ite is located in a mixed commercial/residential neighborhood in Garf ield, Bergen County, New Jersey

. The site is bordered by Van Winkle Avenue to the north, Monroe Street to the south, Sherman Place to the east, and the Passaic River to the west.

 **Site History:** The site consists of an area of ground water contamination that was at least partially attributable to the release from a private electroplating facility that had a storage tank failure. Ground water was contaminated by t he tank failure which

released an estimated 3,600 gallons of chromium plating solution which included approximately 5, 4 00 pound s (lbs) of hexavalent chromium. Contaminated ground water has seeped into nearby resid ences and commercial buildings. In

addition to the former e lectroplating facility, there are other possible sources of chromium, includin g a former tannery and another former electroplating facility.

Beginning in 1993, samples collected from walls, sumps and floors within residential and c ommercial property basement s indicated the presence of hexavalent chromium at elevated concentrations

.

 **Site Contamination/Contaminants:**

Ground water in the study area is contaminated with chromium , including hexavalent chromium

. Hexavalent chromium is a metal use in a variety of industrial processes

. Some sources of hexavalent chromium include chromi c pigments, anti

corrosive agents and chrome plating solutions.

 **Potential Impacts on Surrounding Community/Environment :** 
Chromium- contaminated ground water has contaminated properties within the City of Garfield. Many of the properties had ground water seepage through basement walls , floors and/or basement sump pits

. As a result of the ground water seepage
into these properties , chromium crystals have been deposited on basement walls and floors

. Ground water flows toward the

Passaic River where residents catch fish for recreation and reportedly for consumption.

 **Response Activities (to date):** In 1993, a contractor working on behalf of an e lectroplating facility recovered contaminated ground water at the site. It was reported that approximately 1,600 pounds of chromium or 29 percent of the s pilled material was recovered. Since 2005, EPA has conducted extensive sampling in the area of concern including soil, ground water, wipe, air and dust sampling. EPA has cleaned up hexavalent chromium contamination from 1 2 properties within the area of ground water

contamination.

 **Need for NPL Listing:**

On September 30 , 2010

, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry ( ATSDR ) issued a Health Advisory which

recommend s EPA take actions to mitigate resident s’ exposure to contamination in residential/commercial properties within the area of ground water contamination and take the necessary steps to implement a long

- term cleanup. EPA received a letter of support for placing this site on the NPL from the s tate.

[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was evaluated with the HRS. The description may change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination.]

For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regar ding the effects of exposure to these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet

at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html or by telephone at 1

- 888

- 42

- ATSDR or 1

- 888

- 422

- 8737.