A March 2 press release announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued an administrative order requiring Occidental Chemical Corp. (OxyChem) to design the interim cleanup plan that EPA selected in September 2021 for the upper nine miles of the Lower Passaic River Study Area of the Diamond Alkali Superfund site in New Jersey. OxyChem will be responsible for preparing work plans and conducting a preliminary investigation. This includes sampling to identify contamination boundaries. OxyChem will also conduct studies to assess the river bottom, shoreline, and other aspects of the river in preparation for the cleanup.
“Under this order, OxyChem will perform the engineering work needed before the actual cleanup work can begin,” said Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia in the press release. "EPA will closely monitor this work, which is a critical step toward restoring this iconic river for the communities along its banks."
The cleanup plan that OxyChem will be designing is an interim action. When the cleanup has been completed, EPA will evaluate the results and determine whether further work is necessary to address any remaining contamination in this section of the river.
According to Bloomberg Law, the Passaic River has been a dumping ground for companies since the late 1940s. One such company was Diamond Alkali, which operated there in the 1950s and 1960s manufacturing herbicides—including Agent Orange used in the Vietnam War. The Diamond Alkali site was later purchased by OxyChem and merged into the company.
