Marl Road Update: Chemicals At Howell Site Now Re-Containerized

HOWELL, NJ — Federal environmental officials report that an important step in the Marl Road toxic waste cleanup has been completed: the re-containerization of the drums, also known as overpacking.

"This is an important step that allows us to ensure the safety of the site, our on-site workers and most importantly, the surrounding community," said Stephen McBay, a spokesman for the Environmental Protection Agency that is overseeing the cleanup of the former Compounders Inc. site on the border of Farmingdale.

The EPA since April has been overseeing the sampling and removal of more than 400 drums and 1,000 small containers found at the former industrial site.

Compounders Inc. for decades manufactured chemicals used in adhesives. It also processed asphalt materials.

The next step is for the EPA to remove the drums to a disposal facility, McBay said.

"We are in the final stages of characterizing the remaining drums and small containers, which will help us determine the best way to transport and dispose of them," he said.

This "HAZ-CAT" process is a necessary step in determining which licensed disposal facility the drums and other material will go to, the EPA has said. The agency has many sites it can remove the material to, McBay noted previously.

He added that after the drum removal work is complete, EPA will conduct a site conditions assessment, including "multi-media" sampling, potentially including but not limited to groundwater.

The township provides information about the Marl Road site on its website, as well as information from the EPA and recordings of the two community meetings that took place earlier this year to hear from members of the public.

In the two outreach meetings, residents, especially those in Farmingdale where some houses are only a block or two away from the site, have expressed concern about air and water quality in the area and about the potential need for evacuation.

Federal authorities have set up air monitors and have assured residents that the surrounding area is safer now that they are on the site. EPA's monitoring did not register any alarms about exceeding safe air quality levels, an update in May said.

Another outreach meeting has not been scheduled at this time, the township confirmed.

EPA's McBay said prior public meetings were coordinated and led by the local municipalities.

"At this time, another community meeting is not planned, but we will work with our partners to notify the public if another meeting is scheduled," he said.

A Feb. 9 fire brought fire and other township officials to the Marl Road facility, setting off the chain of events to analyze and clean up the site - and provide residents with information about a site that stopped production in 2019 but had operated for decades. See a previous Patch story for more details on the history of the site.