Hazard Risk Reduced, But Not Eliminated, At Marl Road Cleanup Site

HOWELL, NJ - The removal and stabilization of 200 to 300 deteriorating 55-gallon drums containing chemicals at a former Howell industrial plant has reduced - but not eliminated - the risk of a fire or evacuation, township officials said in a Monday update.

The drums were found last month by Howell firefighters at the 15 Marl Road (Compounder’s Inc.) plant. Since the discovery, federal environmental workers have been managing their removal, as well as sampling and identifying the “potential hazardous” materials, the township said. Read more: Hundreds Of Abandoned Drums With Chemicals Found At Howell Business

“The drums are being sorted and arranged on the property, so better identification can be done on those drums,” an update posted on Howell Township’s website reads. “Plastic has been placed in any areas where there are leaking drums.”

In addition, the laboratory products that were previously removed from the structure by the property owner have been placed back into the warehouse for testing and safeguarding.

Air monitors have also been placed at two locations outside of the property to monitor stable air quality. Read more: Air Monitors Now Up At Marl Road Chemical Cleanup Site In Howell

Apart from the air monitoring equipment, there are plans to construct on-site containment in the form of a berm or a boom in case there should be any accidental release from a container while doing the work, Michael Mannino, the onsite coordinator for the project for the EPA, said at a community meeting in Farmingdale on April 4.

The EPA and state Department of Environmental Protection will also conduct a potable well search in a 500-foot radius of the site, the EPA said at the meeting. So far one potable drinking water well was located. Its water is being tested for volatile organic compounds, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, metals and extractable petroleum hydrocarbons, the EPA said.

EPA-contracted workers began work at the site on April 11, officials said; the federal employees are set to be stationed at the site for “several weeks.” The hours of operation will be 7:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Mondays to Fridays. Some Saturday work might be done, the EPA said.

Nearby residents in Howell or Farmingdale should be aware there may be increased traffic while EPA is working at the site.

The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office is also conducting an investigation as to the cause of a fire in the drums on Feb. 9 that alerted the township to conditions there. Apart from the drums, the local agencies also found spilled materials on the ground and open drums, as well as solid waste at the site.

Compounders Inc., a facility that manufactured a number of chemical compounds, including glues, adhesives, and asphalt materials, operated until 2019. The current owner purchased the business as part of a stock sale in 2021.

Howell Township is slated to provide additional information as the situation develops.