Halliburton Company R-31-12-4-1 COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN CIBA-GEIGY CHEMICAL CORPORATION SITE (TOMS RIVER) TOMS RIVER, NEW JERSEY EPA WORK ASSIGNMENT NUMBER 12-2V87.0 CONTRACT NUMBER 68-01-6699 NUS PROJECT NUMBER S905 APRIL 1985 CIB 009 2018 Park West Two Cliff Mine Road LMUS Pittsburgh, PA 15275 412-788-1080 CXDRRDRATON R-31-12-4-1 COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN CIBA-GEIGY CHEMICAL CORPORATION SITE (TOMS RIVER) TOMS RIVER, NEW JERSEY EPA WORK ASSIGNMENT NUMBER 12-2V87.0 CONTRACT NUMBER 68-01-6699 NUS PROJECT NUMBER S905 APRIL 1985 SUBMITTED FOR NUS BY: APPROVED: GILBERT J. MEYER, JR. DONALD R. BRENNEMAN MANAGER, COMMUNITY RELATIONS REGIONAL MANAGER, REGION II A Halliburton Company CIB 009 2019 CONTENTS SECTION PAGE 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1-1 2.0 BACKGROUND AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS HISTORY 2-1 2.1 SITE HISTORY 2-1 2.2 COMMUNITY RELATIONS HISTORY 2-5 3.0 ISSUES AND CONCERNS 3-1 4.0 COMMUNITY RELATIONS OBJECTIVES 4-1 5.0 COMMUNITY RELATIONS TECHNIQUES 5-1 6.0 SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES 6-1 7.0 BUDGET AND STAFFING PLANS 7-1 8.0 LIST OF INTERESTED PARTIES 8-1 i TABLES NUMBER 6-1 SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES FIGURES NUMBER 2-1 LOCATION MAP, CIBA-GEIGY CHEMICAL CORPORATION SITE 2-2 GENERAL ARRANGEMENT, CIBA-GEIGY CHEMICAL CORPORATION ii 1.0 INTRODUCTION This Community Relations Plan (CRP) has been developed for use with remedial activities now being planned for the Ciba-Geigy Chemical Corporation (CG) Site. The purpose of this CRP is to encourage constructive interaction and meaningful two-way communications between the agencies conducting remedial actions and the community affected by the site. Because community relations is a dynamic process, this plan should be updated as the project develops and the community's concerns evolve. Information for this document was obtained from files maintained by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Region II Office (EPA), the New Jersey Depart­ ment of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), and a recent public meeting held in Toms River, New Jersey. In addition, phone conversations with the Ocean County Health Department and the Ocean County Citizens for Clean Water (OCCCW) were conducted. This CRP first outlines background information and the history of community relations. Issues and concerns of the community are then discussed. The objectives of this plan and the techniques recommended to meet these objectives are stated, after which a proposed schedule and estimated budget are provided. A list of groups and individuals who are interested in activities associated with the site concludes this CRP. 1-1 CIB 009 2022 2.0 BACKGROUND AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS HISTORY 2.1 Site History The Ciba-Geigy Chemical Corporation Site (CG) is located in the western part of Dover Township, Ocean County, New Jersey (see Figure 2-1). The site is 1275 acres in size and is approximately 3 miles northwest of the business district of the unincorporated town of Toms River. The Toms River forms the northeast border of the site. The New Jersey Garden State Parkway is approximately 1 mile east of the site. Highway 37 runs close to the southwestern end of the property. An industrial park is adjacent to the western boundary of the site. Two senior citizen developments are located about 1 mile south of the CG site. Presently located on the site are a manufacturing complex consisting of 30 major buildings, a wastewater treatment plant and a lined overflow storage reservoir for treated and untreated wastewater (see Figure 2-2). In addition to these structures, several waste disposal areas are located on the CG site. An 8-acre chemical landfill which was closed in 1978 and contains bulk wastes and approximately 92,000 drums, a seven and one-half acre inactive sludge disposal area, closed aeration lagoons, oxidation and settling basins, and sludge-drying beds are all onsite. In addition, an active landfill is located on the site. The manufacturing of chemicals began at the Ciba-Geigy Chemical Corporation Site in 1952. The company was known as the Toms River Division of Ciba States Limited at that time. The plant manufactured vat dyestuffs and epoxy resins by the Bisphenol A process. By 1960, the Cincinnati Chemical Works, Inc. (a company also partially owned by Ciba' States Limited) had been moved to Toms River. Toms River Division was renamed the Toms River Chemical Corporation. The production of azo dyestuffs and' intermediates resulted in different types of wastes being generated at the site. The Ciba-Geigy Chemical Corporation assumed complete control of Toms River Chemical in 1981. When operations began, there were: a wastewater treatment plant, four unlined aeration lagoons, unlined oxidation and settling basins, a chemical landfill and a 2-1 CIB 009 2023 PLEASANT 0.2 <W< BASE MAP IS A PORTION OF THE U.S.G.S. TOMS RIVER,NJ QUADRANGLE (75 MINUTE SERIES, 1953, PHOTOREVISED 1970). CONTOUR INTERVAL 10*. FIGURE 2- LOCATION MAP CIBA-GEIGY CHEMICAL CORP SITE, DOVER TWP.NJ IMUS SCALE 1=2000 CORPORATION 2-2 A Halliburton P-nm^on^ CIB 003 2024 600 WOO CLOSED SETTLING LAOOONS FIGURE 2-2 GENERAL ARRANGEMENT CIBA-GEIGY CHEMICAL CORR SITE, DOVER TWR. NJ NUS SCALE' |"=I400'* CXJFFORATiaN A Halliburton Company sludge landfill in operation. The amounts of chemicals and sludge disposed of in the landfills are unknown. Drummed solid residues and waste lime sludge from in- house manufacturing processes were buried in the chemical landfill; filtercake sludge was buried in the sludge landfill. The wastewater from the treatment plant was discharged into the Toms River until 1966, when CG began to discharge the treated wastewater into the Atlantic Ocean, replacing the discharge to Toms River. The use of the old wastewater treatment system was discontinued in 1976. The oxidation and settling basins and treatment system lagoons were excavated and backfilled. The four lagoons were reported to contain undetermined amounts of sludge after backfilling operations. These four unlined lagoons are located near the northeast boundary of the CG property and are 400-600 feet from the west bank of the Toms River. The new wastewater treatment plant was permitted and began operation in 1977. Since then CG's solid wastes have been disposed of in the currently active 18-acre multicell landfill. The first cell of this landfill has been closed and the second cell is now being used. The cells are doubled-lined along the bottom and sides. The landfill contains a leachate collection system between the two liners and nine monitoring wells are in place to monitor surrounding groundwater quality. Procedures for closing Cell I of the landfill were begun in 1978. Prior to the use of Cell II, an inspection by NJDEP was conducted and Cell I was observed to be leaking. Attempts were made to stop the leak. Toward the end of 1979 leaks were observed in the second cell of the landfill. Efforts to patch holes in the liner of Cell II did not result in a decrease of flow. In January of 1980, the EPA performed the identification and preliminary assessment of the CG site. Three site visits by EPA occurred during this year. Late in 1980, CG was ordered to close Cell I of the landfill so that no liquids could enter the cell through the top or sides and to redesign Cell II before any more wastes could be disposed of there. 2-4 CIB 009 2026 The landfill is situated above the Cohansey aquifer. The Cohansey is an important shallow water-table aquifer that supplies water to most of southern New Jersey. It also provides recharge to the underlying Kirkwood formation. Early in 1983, the NJDEP Office of Regulatory Services wrote a memo to the NJDEP Environmental Protection Section's Division of Law requesting immediate action against CG to obtain injunctive relief to stop ongoing, severe, potable water contamination. In June, NJDEP Division of Water Resources (DWR) sent a letter to the company stating that further acceptance of waste streams, either hazardous or non-hazardous, would result in prosecution. 2.2 Community Relations History Approximately 15 years after the Ciba-Geigy Chemical Corporation (CG) began operations, the first reports.of odors by local residents occurred. Investigations by the local health department revealed that the possible sources of the odors were the aeration ponds and a holding pond at the site. The plant was notified and undertook proper maintenance, which resulted in the elimination of the odors for about one year. The holding pond was not used for most of that year. In March of 1969, nearby residents again complained of odors that seemed to emanate from the plant site. A pumpline failure was discovered which necessi­ tated the use of the holding pond again. The holding pond subsequently was drained and then refilled with fresh water. No odors were reported near the site for the next year and one-half. On numerous occasions in September of 1970 "shoe-polish" type odors were reported by residents coming from the CG plant. This was coupled with the more severe problem of contamination of several potable wells of nearby residents. The installation of a public water supply for these residents decreased the number of groundwater contamination complaints. The responsible party or parties for the well contamination were never identified. 2-5 CIB 009 2027 The next incident to arouse public interest was a report in the Evening Times. Trenton, New Jersey of an indictment against CG for dumping potentially dan­ gerous wastes into the Atlantic Ocean without a permit in 1972. Between 1972 and 1974, there were numerous complaints from residents about air pollution and water pollution. During this same time, CG submitted an application for a permit for ocean dumping.