Brownfield Redevelopment of Koppers Seaboard Site in Kearny, New Jersey

Abstract

This paper describes the ongoing remediation and brownfield redevelopment project at the former Koppers Seaboard Site in Kearny, New Jersey. The remediation/redevelopment of the 687,990 square meter site, utilizing processed dredged materials (PDM) and pending redevelopment, will help allow vital regional shipping to continue, and renders the site suitable for industrial use. The site was the location of the Koppers Seaboard Coke and By-Products plant, which was razed in 1979. Significant contamination remains from past operations, which included coke production, gas conditioning, and coal-tar refining. A Remedial Action Work Plan (RAWP) was approved by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection in 1998. The RAWP proposed to contain contaminants on-site, using a barrier system along the Hackensack River, and capping of the site using PDM. PDM placement was initiated in late 1997 under an interim state approval, and will require approximately three years to complete placement operations. The PDM is manufactured, offsite, by stabilizing dredged materials with Portland Cement and other admixtures. The final thickness of the PDM cap will be about ten m, providing a total storage capacity of about 3,440,000 m3 of PDM. The PDM cap eliminates direct-contact exposure to contaminated materials and contaminated storm-water runoff. A steel sheet pile wall and a slurry wall have been installed, which reduces migration of contaminants to acceptable levels in ground water prior to discharging to the Hackensack River. The property owner intends to redevelop the property for industrial or commercial usage following site remediation. A proposed Conceptual Master Plan provides a layout that could accommodate one 1,160-m2 and five 890-m2 pads for industrial facilities. Vehicular, rail, and water access are all available to the site.