Diamond Head Oil Refinery Superfund Site

The township of Kearny, New Jersey was created in 1867. Mayor William Sandford obtained the property in 1668. It was then bought in 1701 by Sandford's friend, Mayor Nathaniel Kingsland, who then sold the land to Captain Arent Schuyler. Schuyler opened up a copper mine in the area, and was able to create the first steam engine in America. This steam engine allowed for a deeper mine shaft to be created. When the area became more populated in the nineteenth century, it was named Kearny after Major General Phil Kearny, a United States military officer who served in the Mexican–American War.

The Diamond Head Oil Refinery was run under multiple companies: PSC Resources, Inc., Ag-Met Oil Service, Inc., and Newtown Refining Corporation. Robert Mahler was the owner of all of these companies while Diamond Head was still active.

The state of New Jersey issued a site assessment in May 2001 to investigate the extent of the damages and pollution at Diamond Head Oil Refinery. When they reported on the chemical exposure there, they said this: “According to the USEPA Expanded Site Inspection (December 1999), the environmental media at the site, including soils, sediments and groundwater, are contaminated. The contaminants include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semiVOCs and heavy metals, and are present at levels of potential health concern. Environmental/ecological threats to surface water were also suggested. However, no known drinking water intakes are located in any surface waters within 15 miles downstream of the site. In addition, commercial fishing is prohibited in nearby surface waters (USEPA, 1991). Recreational fishing does not occur in the region of the site.”[1]

The EPA performed several phases of Remedial Investigation to identify what was wrong with the site and to identify the extent of the contamination. These were performed between 2003 and 2009. In 2009, a Feasibility Study was performed to discuss different clean up options for the waste at the site. In 2016, another Feasibility Study was performed to address the contaminants in the soil.[2]

One of the chemicals found at the site was PCB. PCB, or Polychlorinated biphenyls, are mixtures of colorless chemicals with no taste or smell. PCBs were originally produced to be used as insulation, coolants, and lubricants for a variety of electrical equipment. The production of PCBs was stopped in 1977 because it was suspected of certain harmful health and environmental effects. It is a dangerous chemical to humans and can cause damages to the liver if exposed to a large amount of it. Swallowing PCBs can result in coma or death.[3]

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are organic compounds that can easily become vapors or gases. These compounds are released from burning fuel and are also emitted from oil fields and diesel exhaust. Most compounds are hazardous air pollutants, so it is more common to be exposed by breathing in the air that is polluted. Some VOCs have no known health effects, while others can cause damage to the liver and nervous system.[4]

In 2009, the EPA proposed a plan to excavate and remove 2 feet of contaminated soil and cover the rest of the contaminated soil with clean fill. 49,00 cubic feet of contaminated soil will be removed from the site, and the removal will cost $14 million.[5]

Currently, the Diamond Head Oil Refinery has not been effectively cleaned up. The plan that was proposed has yet to go into effect, and the site remains inactive. There is no more information on when the plan to clean the site will take place.