EPA Update Planned On Removal Of Chemical-Laden Drums Found In Howell

HOWELL, NJ — Residents here and in Farmingdale will have a second opportunity Wednesday to learn more about the ongoing federal project at 15 Marl Road, the site where hundreds of old chemical drums are being removed from a former industrial manufacturing business.

The meeting will be at Farmingdale Borough Community Center, 13 Asbury Ave., Farmingdale. All members of the public are invited to attend the meeting Wednesday, April 5, at 6 p.m.

You can attend in person or view the meeting on Google Meets by going to a link on the Howell website created to put out information about the project. A link to the Google Meets room will be provided at this link when available.

Members of the Howell Township Council had called for a second meeting to take place in Farmingdale after the first meeting on the site March 21 brought out people in droves - mainly from Farmingdale.

Residents there said they were worried about the impact of the site on their health and safety, expressing concerns about groundwater and air quality and about emergency notification and evacuation plans.

The former Compounders Inc. adhesives and asphalt manufacturing site is on the last parcel of land in Howell before the border of the small and picturesque Borough of Farmingdale. The borough has a walkable downtown with many historic houses and shops, as well as larger properties and mixed-use sites on the outskirts of the downtown.

The presence of the aging and rusting drums were brought to the attention of local officials after Howell firefighters had to put out a drum fire there on Feb. 9.

Several members of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 2 Office will be in attendance Wednesday to give more information on the activity at the property, as well as to answer any questions from residents.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency has been onsite at 15 Marl Road since Feb. 15 to re-containerize 200 to 300 drums containing the chemical waste. It will remove the drums for disposal. The state will then oversee the ultimate cleanup of the site, officials have said in past statements.

Howell has set up a website dedicated to updates on the project.

The site at https://www.twp.howell.nj.us/610/15-Marl-Road includes recent activities, emergency alerting, evacuation routes and additional information about the site.

The EPA is developing a workplan for the site and will share that with the public as soon as it is approved.

But the priority right now, according to Michael Mannino, onsite coordinator for the EPA, is to:

• Secure the drums.
• Remove them.
• Work with the state to test soil and groundwater.
• Expand the study area to the back of the property.

The site is now fenced and has 24/7 manned security, he said.

Mannino said the drums will be "re-containerized" for removal and a berm will be constructed to prevent any runoff. He has also said that electronic equipment is picking up no airborne chemicals during the cleanup.

To read more Patch news about the 15 Marl Road cleanup site, you can refer to the following stories:

• New Howell Website Is Dedicated To Marl Road Chemical Cleanup
• Howell Chemical Cleanup: Call For A Second Community Meeting
• Worried Residents Seek Answers About Howell Chemical Cleanup
• Farmingdale 'In The Loop' For Howell Chemical Cleanup: Mayor
• Chemical Drum Cleanup In Howell Prompts Meeting, Evacuation Map
• Hundreds Of Abandoned Drums With Chemicals Found At Howell Business