Published in the Asbury Park Press
By JEAN MIKLE
TOMS RIVER BUREAU
DOVER TOWNSHIP -- A quarterly test of ground water being treated at the former Ciba-Geigy Corp. plant has again shown that the water meets all standards specified in the company's agreement with the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
"At this time, our tests have shown that what Ciba promised to do and was asked to do, and is required to do through EPA, they are doing," said Benjamin Epstein, president of Ocean County Citizens for Clean Water.
The citizens group samples the treated water once every three months at the Ciba site, off Route 37. The $5,000 cost of the quarterly tests is paid by the company, now called Ciba Specialty Chemicals Corp. But an independent testing laboratory draws the samples and analyzes them.
Ciba paid $41 million to build a state-of-the-art ground-water treatment system that began operation two years ago. About 2.7 million gallons of contaminated ground water is extracted each day, treated to remove pollutants, and discharged through miles of pipeline to the northeast corner of the Ciba property.
Before the treatment process begins, the water contains levels of dichlorobenzene, chlorobenzene, trichloroethylene and trichloropropane that reach hundreds of parts per billion.
After treatment, only trace, or almost nondetectable amounts, of the chemicals remain. Epstein said Ocean County Citizens for Clean Water will continue to conduct the quarterly tests for the foreseeable future.
Epstein noted the treatment system is containing a plume of underground contamination that seeps from the Ciba site into the water. But he said the plume of contamination will not be eliminated until Ciba is able to clean up the site itself.
Federal environmental authorities have identified up to 19 known or suspected waste-disposal areas that have become major sources of ground water pollution at the plant.
The pollution source consists of some 51,000 drums of chemicals and 804,500 cubic yards of contaminated soil on its 1,400-acre property, officials say. Ciba's dyestuffs plant was placed on the federal Superfund list in 1982.
Ciba is working on a feasibility study for the site cleanup that should be completed by May 1, 1999.
Published: July 15, 1998
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