PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT
FEDERAL CREOSOTE
MANVILLE, SOMERSET COUNTY, NEW JERSEY
The Federal Creosote site is a 53-acre site which includes a 15-acre shopping/commercial area and a 35-acre housing development. These two areas were built over a former wood treatment facility in which railroad ties were treated with coal tar creosote from approximately 1910 to 1956. After operations ceased, two lagoons and two canals containing used coal tar creosote were covered with fill, the site was graded, and the area developed for commercial and residential purposes. The residential portion, built in the mid-1960s, is known as the Claremont Development.
Contaminants consistent with the components of creosote were first discovered in a residential sump pump in 1996. Investigations by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), and later the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), found polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface and subsurface soils from residential properties within the Claremont Development. The source of these compounds is suspected to be the former canals and lagoons, which still contain a concentrated creosote sludge, and underlie or abut several residences.
The USEPA has conducted surface and subsurface soil sampling, indoor air monitoring, lagoon and canal delineation, and installed monitoring wells. In July 1998, approximately 16 homes with the highest levels of PAHs in surface soil were temporarily remediated (i.e., ground cover was put in place to eliminate exposure to contaminated soils). Residents of at least 17 homes are expected to be permanently relocated in order to remove canal and lagoon material. Other residents may also be temporarily relocated at a later time to remove other areas of canal and lagoon material, and creosote-contaminated soils.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has performed several health consultations on the site which indicate that long term exposure to contaminants found in surface soil are not likely to result in health effects. However, sub-surface soils contain higher levels of PAHs, and residents should avoid activities that may result in contact with sub-surface soil. Exposures to creosote and its constituents in soil can occur through dermal exposure, and through inhalation and ingestion of soil-borne contaminants. Exposure is unlikely to occur through ingestion of vegetables grown at the residences.
The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) and the ATSDR conclude that exposure to surface soil represents no apparent public health hazard. Although levels of coal tar creosote constituents found in surface soil do not pose a public health hazard for routine land use and outdoor activities, any activities that would disturb deeper soil as near as 2 feet below ground level could result in exposures that may pose a health risk. The NJDHSS and ATSDR concur with the USEPA's plan to relocate residents to remediate the site. The NJDHSS and the ATSDR recommend that, as source material and sub-surface soil is removed or otherwise remediated, precautions should be taken to ensure that contaminants do not migrate to non-contaminated properties. The NJDHSS and ATSDR will further evaluate public health risks from exposures to groundwater as data becomes available.
The ATSDR has provided consultation to the USEPA and to area residents on health issues relating to the site. The ATSDR and the NJDHSS will continue to evaluate environmental data in the context of public health concerns, and ensure that residents and health care providers are kept informed of these issues.
This Public Health Assessment evaluates actual and potential human exposures to contaminants measured on the residential portion of the Federal Creosote site. It also serves to document community health concerns relating to the site. In addition, this Public Health Assessment is being conducted because the Federal Creosote site was proposed to USEPA's National Priorities List in July 1998. The USEPA subsequently finalized the site on the NPL in January 1999.
Housing was built over buried canals and lagoons containing coal tar creosote, which can result in residents being exposed to creosote and its constituent components. Coal tar creosote is a mixture of hundreds of individual components, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These contaminants have been detected in surface and subsurface soils.
Creosote exposure can occur through ingestion, inhalation, or dermal contact with soil. It may also occur through inhalation of volatile PAHs in indoor air, or through ingestion of vegetables grown in contaminated soil. Because this is a residential site, it is reasonable to expect that people may come in contact with contaminants. Health effects of exposure are more fully described below under "Discussion."
A. Site Description and History
The
Federal Creosote (FC) site occupies 53 acres in a residential/commercial area
in Manville, Somerset County, NJ (see Figure 1). Between 1910 and 1956 the Federal
Creosoting Company operated a wood treatment plant on the site. Specifically,
railroad ties and telephone poles were treated with coal tar creosote, which acts
as a wood preservative and water-proofing agent. These activities generated process
waste, including creosote-contaminated sludges, sediments, process residuals,
preservative drippings, and spent process liquids. Area soil was also contaminated.
Two canals and two buried lagoons were used to transport and hold, respectively,
spent creosote during operations.
Sometime after the plant ceased operations, the site was sold to a developer. Fill material was used to cover the canals and lagoon areas, although the original coal tar creosote and associated wastes were not removed. In the early 1960s, a parcel of approximately 15 acres of the site was developed as a shopping mall and commercial area. In the mid-1960s, 137 houses were built on another 35 acres of the site. This development is known as the Claremont Development. The Federal Creosote site is roughly triangular in shape. It is bordered on the west by the borough's Main Street and on the north and east by railroad tracks (see Figure 2).
In April 1996, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) was notified that a sump pump located in a residence in the Claremont Development was discharging an unknown liquid with a strong chemical odor. The NJDEP reported the presence of a thick, dark brown, tar or oil-like substance flowing from the sump pump. The substance was found to be petroleum based, ignitable, and soluble in alcohol. The following January, excavation of a sinkhole which had formed around a storm sewer pipe in the development revealed a black tar-like substance in the soil. Analysis of this material indicated that it contained contaminants consistent with the composition of creosote.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) conducted subsurface and surface soil sampling in October 1997 and February 1998, and found polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at 37 residences. PAHs are the largest group of compounds found in coal tar creosote. The USEPA determined that levels of PAHs at 19 of the properties posed an unacceptable long-term health risk. In July 1998, the USEPA placed sod, mulch, or other ground cover at these 19 residences over any existing areas of bare soil to act as a barrier to direct contact with soil.
The former lagoons and canals continue to be a source of contamination. The USEPA estimates that the lagoons and canals contain approximately 43,900 cubic yards of source material. It also estimates that there is approximately 78,900 cubic yards of contaminated soil.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has prepared several Health Consultations at the request of the USEPA and residents. These are summarized below:
|
Date of Health
Consultation |
Issues of Concern
|
Conclusions and |
| May 1, 1997 | ATSDR was asked to evaluate the public health implications of exposure to creosote and its constituents (PAHs, VOCs) at the levels found on site during the USEPA's preliminary site investigation. |
The Health Consultation describes the general effects of exposure to
coal tar creosote and the most likely route
of exposure in a residential setting. It concluded the following: |
| May 15, 1997 | ATSDR was asked to provide action levels for indoor air contaminants relative to the site. | ATSDR provided health-based guidelines for benzene and naphthalene, suggesting levels at which action would need to be taken. Three levels were provided: evacuation (immediately hazardous and unsafe for habitation), short-term (less than 14 days), and long-term (more than 1 year) exposures. Benzene and naphthalene were chosen as the basis for developing health-based guidelines because they are components of coal tar creosote, and because of their toxicity and volatility. |
| January 16, 1998 | The USEPA conducted surface soil sampling, as recommended in the 5/1/97 health consultation, and requested an evaluation of the data. |
Several residences had elevated levels of PAHs in surface soil. Using
a worst-case scenario, ATSDR concluded that the PAHs in surface soil did
not present an acute health threat, but did present a potential long-term
health threat on some properties. It recommended the following: |
| April 24, 1998 | A resident requested information about the safety of eating home grown vegetables. |
Based upon assumptions regarding the uptake of contaminants from soil
into plants, and the amount of home-grown vegetables typically consumed,
ATSDR concluded that: |
| February 11, 1999 | This consultation evaluated additional surface soil sampling results recommended in the 1/16/98 health consultation. |
Approximately 10 to 12 surface soil samples were collected at each of 133 properties in the development. PAHs, lead and arsenic detected in surface soil were found at concentrations below those associated with acute or chronic health effects. ATSDR concluded that PAHs, lead and arsenic found in surface soil at this site do not pose a public health hazard. |
In October 1998, several residents also spoke with an ATSDR medical officer regarding specific health concerns, including cancer risk and long-term health effects.
The USEPA and the NJDEP conducted indoor air monitoring at 126 residential and commercial properties in the Claremont Development in 1997. Although several residences exhibited low levels of volatile organic compounds, including naphthalene, these contaminants were determined to be a result of storage and use of household products, and were not volatilizing from the site.
The USEPA has been and continues to monitor the municipal water supply for migration of site contaminants. There is no evidence that the plume has spread to the municipal wells; however, groundwater from monitoring wells is contaminated with components of creosote. The USEPA has largely delineated the extent of subsurface soil contamination and defined the boundaries of the former canals and lagoons. The USEPA has installed additional groundwater monitoring wells, and will be sampling sediments from the Millstone and Raritan Rivers. The USEPA is also working with residents to develop a schedule to remediate properties that is both acceptable to the community and protective of public health.
B. Demographics, Land Use, and Natural Resources
The Federal Creosote site is in a residential and commercial area of the Borough of Manville in Somerset County. Population data from 1990 indicate that there are 10,567 residents occupying 4,119 households in the Borough of Manville. The Claremont Development has 137 households, with an estimated population of approximately 350 persons.
Two municipal wells are located approximately 1/4 mile northeast from the site. These wells serve as
a potable water source for both the immediate community and the surrounding area. The remainder of
the community's water supply is from the Elizabethtown Water Company, which draws from wells
near the confluence of the Millstone and the Raritan Rivers.
The area surrounding the site is used for a variety of purposes, including commercial and retail uses along Main Street, and other residential areas to the southeast across railroad tracks. The former Johns Manville asbestos product manufacturing facility occupied the area immediately north of the northern railroad line. There are no surface water features within the Claremont development other than storm drains. The Millstone River is located approximately 1/4 mile south east of the site, and the Raritan River is approximately ½ mile to the north.
Representatives of the NJDHSS (S. Kubiak) and the ATSDR (T. Mignone) conducted a site visit on April 20, 1999. The site is a residential area of 137 single-family homes. The Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks are adjacent to approximately 16 backyards on the northwest side of Valerie Drive and three properties on East Camplain Road. CSX Railroad tracks lie along 22 properties on East Camplain Road, and several properties on N. Park St. and N. Bank Street.
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