Equilon Enterprises LLC dba Shell Oil Products US (Shell) is remediating soils impacted by its former operations at 85 Willow Street (Block 24.03, Lot 35) in East Rutherford.
The community is encouraged to contact us with any questions or concerns about the project. Please call our Project Information Line: (201) 494-4886 or email us at comments@willowstreetproject.com. Please check our project website www.willowstreetproject.com for updates and answers to frequently asked questions.
Anticipated work to be performed: Week of October 2
- Continue removing asphalt from excavation area.
- Continue soil excavation.
- Properly abandon third artesian well found onsite according to the regulations of the NJDEP, pending NJDEP approval.
- Continue backfilling with certified clean fill following results of soil sampling and use vibratory roller to meet soil compaction requirements.
- Transport excavated soil to a licensed facility. Trucks are tarped before exiting the site.
- As necessary, break up concrete found below ground so it can be transported offsite to a licensed facility.
- Refill water truck as needed using fire hydrant with permission from Veolia. Water trucks help manage dust through water misting. Also to manage dust, tarps are placed on soil stockpiles.
- East Rutherford Police will continue to provide traffic control support as needed.
- Continue dewatering and treatment of water, as necessary. Treated water is discharged to the sanitary sewer with the approval of the Bergen County Utilities Authority in accordance with NJDEP approved limits.
- Perform continuous perimeter air monitoring during soil disturbance work.
- Perform vibration monitoring between the area of active excavation and the closest structures.
- Begin to remove equipment from the site, such as the construction trailer and water holding tanks, to allow soil excavation in areas currently housing equipment.
- Continue to mobilize materials to site as needed.
Work completed: Week of September 25
- No work was performed on Monday, September 25th because of the forecast for Tropical Storm Ophelia.
- Continued removing asphalt from excavation area.
- Continued soil excavation on site, including on PSE&G property outside fenceline within the Willow Street right of way.
- Continued backfilling with certified clean fill following results of soil sampling and using vibratory roller to meet soil compaction requirements.
- Notified NJDEP and Borough of East Rutherford about discovery of third and fourth artesian wells onsite. Borough representative visited site for evaluation.
- Continued breaking up concrete found below ground so it could be transported offsite to a licensed facility.
- Transported excavated soil and concrete to licensed facilities. Trucks are tarped before exiting the site.
- Blended some soil in place to enable future removal and disposal at a licensed landfill.
- East Rutherford Police provided traffic control support as needed.
- Managed dust through water misting and placing tarps on soil stockpiles.
- Continued dewatering and treatment of water, as necessary. Treated water is discharged to the sanitary sewer with the approval of the Bergen County Utilities Authority in accordance with NJDEP approved limits.
- Performed continuous perimeter air monitoring during soil disturbance work.
- Performed vibration monitoring between the area of active excavation and the closest structures.
- Continued to mobilize materials to site as needed.
Community Outreach
- Issued 16th weekly project update to Borough of East Rutherford, county health officials, and nearby property owners.
- Provided weekly update to Beckmeyer Engineering to ensure an open line of communication with the Borough and coordinate, as necessary.
Project Background
In late June 2023, work began to prepare the property for remediation. Remediation work began in early July. All onsite remediation work is expected to be completed in October. Daily construction schedules can be impacted by many factors, including weather.
The purpose of the remediation is to remove and replace onsite impacted soils with clean fill between 1 and 13 feet below ground surface. Approximately 16,000 cubic yards of soil will be removed. Impacted soils will be transported offsite to a licensed facility for beneficial reuse. To access these soils safely, some trees located in the neighboring properties and other vegetation were removed with the permission of the respective property owners.
For restoration, onsite areas will be backfilled with stone to original grade. Off-site areas impacted by the soil investigation will be restored to their original condition in coordination with property owners and in compliance with all applicable Borough of East Rutherford ordinances.
All work is being performed in accordance with the guidance and regulations of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), Bergen County and Borough of East Rutherford permit requirements, and under the oversight of the Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) of record.