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Public Health Assessment
Ciba-Geigy Corporation
(Dover Township) Toms River, New Jersey
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Purpose and Health Issues
As part of the Public Health Response Plan (PHRP) developed by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) for the Dover Township Childhood Cancer Investigation (NJDOH and ATSDR, 1996), this Public Health Assessment will document and evaluate the public health significance of human exposure pathways associated with the Ciba Geigy Corporation site.
Background
Demography and Land Use
The Ciba-Geigy Corporation (CGC) site (CERCLIS #NJDOO 1502517) is located near State Route 3 7 in the West Dover section of Dover Township (Ocean County), New Jersey, approximately 1 mile west of the Garden State Parkway/U.S. Route 9, and 3 miles west of the Site Location business district of the Toms River section of Dover Township (see inset and Figure 1). The Toms River forms the northeastern boundary of the site. Winding River Park,
an outdoor recreational area located within the flood plain of the Toms River, adjoins the site on the northeast. Immediately east of the Toms River is the Coulter Street/Whitesville Road residential area. The Cardinal Drive/Oak Ridge Parkway residential area adjoins the southeast border of the site along the west bank of the Toms River. A residential area, Pine Lake Park Estates (Manchester Township), borders the northwestern boundary of the site.
Additional residential and commercial properties border the site on the South and southwest along State Route 37 (NUS, 1988a; CDM, 1993a).
The Ciba-Geigy Corporation (formerly Toms River Chemical Company, and now renamed Ciba Specialty Chemicals, a Division of Novartis Corporation) owned and operated a chemical manufacturing plant (the Toms River- Plant) on the property beginning in 1952. The property consists of approximately 1,400 acres, of which 320 acres are developed. The site boundaries encompass 1,359 acres. Approximately
43 acres (previously known as Tract 2), located east of the main site along Oak Ridge Parkway, were donated to Dover Township and now comprise Winding River Park, a public recreation area. The former production area, wastewater treatment plant, power plant, and administrative buildings occupy approximately 100 acres. Various disposal areas and a landfill encompass approximately 220 acres. The remaining approximately
1,000 acres are undeveloped pine forest and wetlands. The entire CGC site is fenced, with controlled entrances from Oak Ridge Parkway on the east and from State Route 37 on the west (NUS, 1988a; CDM, 1993a).
The Kirkwood-Cohansey geologic formation underlies the CGC site. There are several aquifer elements within this formation beneath the site (Figure 5), grouped 'into the Upper Sand (including the Upper Cohansey, Primary Cohansey, Lower Cohansey, Upper Kirkwood, and Kirkwood No. 1) and Lower Sand (including Kirkwood No. 2) Aquifers. The groundwater is acidic, and contains relatively high concentrations of dissolved iron and manganese.
At the CGC site, groundwater in the Upper Sand Aquifer flows in a southeasterly direction towards, and discharges into, the Toms River. Groundwater -in the Lower Sand Aquifer also flows southeasterly beneath the site, but apparently does not discharge to the Toms River (NUS, 1988a; CDM, 1993a). Within Dover Township, the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer is used extensively as a source of potable and irrigation water.
Population demographics based upon the 1990 census have been prepared by the ATSDR using area-proportion spatial analysis, and are presented in Figure 2. Within a one mile radius of the Ciba Geigy site, there is a population of approximately 10,725 persons. There are approximately 4,300 private residences within this area.
Site History
Beginning in 1952, the Toms River Plant initially produced anthraquinone-based dyes and intermediate products. Starting in 1959, the plant also manufactured azo dyes and intermediates, epoxy resins, and other specialty chemicals (NUS, 1988a; Detzell, 1989). During peak operations, the facility had a daily production capacity of about 220,000 pounds of dyestuff and intermediates, and about 105,000 pounds of epoxy resins (NUS, 1988a).
Production of anthraquinone-based dyes ended in 1983, and azo dye production ended in 1988; epoxy resin manufacturing ended in 1990. Manufacturing operations at the plant ceased as of the end of 1996 when dye standardization activities were terminated.
The manufacturing processes (estimated to be as many as 600 over the years) generated liquid and solid wastes, According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), from about 1952 through 1977, solid and liquid process wastes were disposed of in approximately 20 known source areas. These source areas include a disposal landfill containing approximately 31,000 drums, a 12-acre filter-cake disposal area, a 5 acre lime sludge
disposal area, a 40 acre borrow area, numerous lagoons and basins associated with former wastewater treatment plants totaling approximately 30 acres, and the production area itself (see Figure 3). Several of the disposal areas were unlined. Solid wastes, including residues from manufacturing processes, were disposed of 'in bulk or in drums in several of the on-site source areas. Wastewater treatment sludge was stockpiled on top of a
closed cell of the landfill (NUS, 1988a; CDM, 1993a, Ciba, 1999b).
Since 1952, at least four different wastewater treatment methodologies have been utilized to remove metals, volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), and semi volatile organic chemicals (SVOCS) from process wastes. Initially, treated wastewater was discharged directly into the Toms River. Starting in 1966, treated wastewater was discharged to the Atlantic Ocean near Ortley Beach via a 10 mile long pipeline which ran underground about 35,200
feet through mainland Dover Township, primarily along Mapletree Road and Bay Avenue. The route of the pipeline is illustrated in Figure 7. Use of the pipeline was terminated in 1991.
Summary of Previous Health Assessment Activity
The first Public Health Assessment (PHA) for the Ciba-Geigy Corporation site was completed by ATSDR in 1988 (ATSDR, 1988a). Based on information available at the time, this assessment identified several human exposure pathways of concern: 1) oral and dermal exposure to lead in water from contaminated residential wells; 2) oral, dermal, and inhalation exposure to mercury in residential wells; 3) potential ingestion and inhalation of,
and dermal exposure to, VOCs in residential wells; 4) dermal, oral, and inhalation exposure to contaminated on-site surface soils by on-site workers, clean-up personnel, or trespassers; 5) dermal, oral and inhalation exposure to ingestion and inhalation of contaminants in adjacent marshland sediments, surface water, and air in the vicinity of the Winding River Park; and 6) potential ingestion of contaminated garden plants irrigated with contaminated residential well water (ATSDR, 1988a)
In the 1988 ATSDR Public Health Assessment, concerns about contamination in off-site private residential wells was focused on the Cardinal Drive/Oak Ridge Parkway and the Coulter Street areas. In the Cardinal Drive/Oak Ridge Parkway area, residential wells (used for irrigation) were found to contain VOCs in the mid-1980s. In the Coulter Street area and other nearby residential areas, residential wells (used for drinking) were
found to contain elevated levels of lead and/or mercury (NUS, 1988a). (At the request of the
USEPA, ATSDR evaluated the levels of lead and mercury in these wells in two brief Health Consultations (ATSDR, 1988b, ATSDR, 1988c), and recommended the provision of alternate sources of potable water.) Subsequent to the 1988 PHA, the presence of lead and mercury in these wells was determined by the USEPA to be not related to the CGC site (ATSDR, 1992a).
The possibility of exposure by inhalation of airborne contaminants was also discussed in the 1988 Public Health Assessment. Analysis of ambient air (Radian, 1986) had identified several VOCs (benzene, chlorobenzene, chloroform, toluene, tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene, and 1,4-dioxane) in the air in the marshland areas adjacent to the Cardinal Drive/Oak Ridge Parkway vicinity. However, since the samples were taken in the marshland area,
but no exposure point samples were taken, it was not possible to determine if a completed pathway had existed. Sampling for airborne contaminants at nearby residences was recommended.
The first Public Health Assessment (ATSDR, 1988a) concluded that the CGC site is of public health concern because of the risk to human health caused by probable human exposure to hazardous substances at levels that may result in adverse human health effects over time." ATSDR made several recommendations to further characterize and monitor the environmental media in the vicinity, including on-site source areas, on-site groundwater and off-site
private residential wells, and on- and off-site air.
In 1991, the ATSDR released an Addendum to the Public Health Assessment which evaluated contaminants identified in marsh sediments and the surface waters of the Toms River within Winding River Park (ATSDR, 1991a). The levels of contaminants which were considered, including VOCS, arsenic, cyanide, and the pesticides DDT and aldrin, were found to not pose a threat to public health.
A second Addendum was released by the ATSDR in 1991 which discussed tentatively identified compounds (TICs), including dye intermediates and other organic chemicals in on-site soils, which had not previously been characterized (by identity and/or concentration) as a result of limitations of the analytical procedures which had been used (ATSDR, 199 lb). Since the identities of these soil contaminants had, in general, still not been determined,
the ATSDR concluded that the nature of any threat to public health could not be estimated. Subsequently, many of these contaminants were identified and characterized in soils (CDM, 1993f, CDM, 1994a), but standard methods of analysis for detection of low levels of water-soluble dyes and intermediates in groundwater are not yet available.
A "Lead Initiative Summary Report" was published by ATSDR in 1992 (ATSDR, 1992a). This document revisited the issue of lead and mercury contamination of private residential wells in the Coulter Street area, and concluded that the exposure pathway to lead and mercury discussed in ATSDR's 1999 Public Health Consultations (ATSDR 1988b; ATSDR, 1988c) were interrupted, and concurred with USEPA's intervention actions. The ATSDR concurred with the USEPA
conclusion that lead and mercury in private well samples from this area were unlikely to be related to the CGC site. A comprehensive additional Public Health Assessment was also recommended.
Two additional Public Health Consultations were performed by ATSDR (ATSDR, 1992b; ATSDR, 1993a). These consultations considered VOCs which had been identified in soils (using methods to measure VOCs in soil gas) taken in the Cardinal Drive/Oak Ridge Parkway area and in the Winding River Park. Contaminants which were identified included benzene, nitrobenzene, trichlorobenzene, toluene, vinyl chloride, xylenes, and methylene chloride (Weston, 1991).
However, these data were deemed insufficient to determine if a threat to public health existed, and consequently additional sampling was recommended by ATSDR and later conducted by the USEPA (CDM, 1993b).
Site Visits
As part of the activities conducted in support of this Public Health Assessment, staff of the NJDHSS and the ATSDR performed multiple visits to the CGC site and other associated locations within Dover Township during 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999. As of December 1996, all manufacturing activities, including dye standardization, had ceased at the plant. Many of the buildings on the property have been demolished. The plant is now occupied by caretaker
and remedial operations personnel. There was evidence of possible trespassing as a result of vandalism, specifically, holes had been cut in the perimeter fence.
Community Concerns
Environmental contamination associated with the CGC site has resulted in a high level of community concern. Complaints regarding stack emissions and other odors associated with the plant had been lodged by the public for many years. Contamination of the surface waters of the Toms River by dyes and other chemicals were also evident in the 1950s and 1960s as a result of the practice of discharging process wastewater directly to the Toms River.
An outfall pipeline which transported treated wastewater to the Atlantic Ocean was installed in 1966. However, the discharge of wastewater to the Ocean was itself controversial, and there were also complaints about leaks resulting from breaks in the pipeline during the 1980s. Use of the outfall pipeline for discharge of treated process wastewater to the ocean was terminated in 1991.
During the activities conducted for this Public Health Assessment, the NJDHSS and the ATSDR were requested to evaluate the public health significance of the CGC site regarding private wells in the area of the site, the community water supply well field located at Holly Street, air contaminants, sediments of the Toms River, and surface soils and private wells potentially contaminated by breaks in the outfall pipeline.
Residents of Dover Township have expressed concern to the NJDHSS and the ATSDR regarding the incidence of childhood cancer in the community. In the summer of 1995, the ATSDR asked the NJDHSS to perform an analysis of childhood cancer statistics in the community. The NJDHSS found an elevated occurrence of certain childhood cancers. Community concerns about the finding led the ATSDR and the NJDHSS to formulate a multi-activity Public Health Response
Plan (PHRP) in June 1996 (NJDOH and ATDSR, 1996), The PHRP included an updating and reevaluation of information on childhood cancer incidence and assessments of environmental issues of concern to the community. Originally included in the PHRP were Public Health Assessments for the CGC site and the Reich Farm site (CERCLIS #NJ980529713) (NJDIJSS and ATSDR, 1999a). Subsequently, the NJDHSS and the ATSDR added a third Public Health
Assessment for the Dover Township Municipal Landfill (CERCLIS #NJD980771570) (NJDHSS and ATDSR, 1999b). The PHRP also included a Public Health Consultation, performed jointly with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), that evaluated extensive water quality testing data collected in the period March 1996 to June 1999 from the community water system in Dover Township (NJDHSS, NJDEP and ATDSR, 1999).
Other activities of the PHRP are the development of a community and health professionals education program (see "Public Health Action Plan" section), compilation of a compendium of environmental contamination sources in Dover Township, and inclusion of New Jersey in a multi-state study of brain cancer incidence in proximity to National Priorities List sites.
Since March 1996 the NJDHSS and the ATSDR have participated in monthly public meetings of the Citizens Action Committee on Childhood Cancer Cluster (CACCCC) in order to discuss progress toward implementation of the PHRP, cancer incidence, environmental sampling data, and community concerns related to the on-going investigation.
Recently, the CACCCC requested ATSDR involvement 'in the remedial alternative selection process for the on-site source areas. ATSDR has committed to evaluation of the health protectiveness of the remediation measures, once a proposed alternative has been identified by the USEPA.
Statement of Issues
Based upon past and current data and information on the CGC site, and other environmental concerns communicated to the NJDHSS and the ATSDR, this Public Health Assessment will evaluate specific exposure pathways, including those associated with: private well use in areas adjacent to the site and along the outfall pipeline; community water supply wells at the Holly Street well field; airborne contaminants; and surface water, soils and sediments.
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