Update #6
PSE&G Weekly Project Update – Week of May 6, 2024
A contractor of Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) will continue to mobilize equipment and personnel for the John Fitch Way Project and prepare the site for remediation. The Project site is located in the portion of the state-owned parking lot near the New Jersey Department of Labor Building and Division of Taxation Building and adjacent to the helicopter pad.
The current walkway to the Department of Labor Building will remain open until an alternative walkway can be established, currently anticipated to be May 15th.
Weekly updates are posted to the project website: https://jfitchwayproject.com/
Questions? Concerns? Call the Project Information Line at (855) 356-2383 or email us at comments@jfitchwayproject.com.
Anticipated Work to be Performed: May 6 – May 10
- Continue to mobilize equipment and personnel to the site.
- Continue to remove asphalt; soft dig and pre-trench excavation limits.
- Complete concrete removal and installation of temporary asphalt walkway on the east side of the helipad.
- Continue concrete and asphalt loadout.
- Investigate and reroute electric for light poles.
- Begin installation of lighting for temporary walkway.
- Tentatively continue installation of the project specific electric service infrastructure in the area adjacent to the helipad.
- Continue perimeter air monitoring.
- Maintain soil erosion and sediment controls.
- Security guard posted 24/7.
Work Performed: April 29 – May 3
- Continued to mobilize equipment and personnel to the site.
- Completed installation of temporary chain link fence around the work area, including privacy screen and signage.
- Removed asphalt and performed soft dig (i.e. hand digging) to ensure new temporary fence posts were clear of underground utilities.
- Met onsite with local emergency responders in accordance with the site’s Health and Safety Plan.
- Soft dug to identify electric utilities.
- Removed asphalt for pre-trenching activities.
- Began to soft dig and pre-trench excavation limits.
- Began concrete removal and installation of temporary asphalt walkway on the east side of the helipad.
- Began concrete and asphalt loadout.
- Began perimeter air monitoring on May 2.
- Maintained soil erosion and sediment controls.
- Security guard posted 24/7.
Community Outreach
- Issued 5th weekly update and posted it to the project website.
- Weekly updates emailed to: NJ Department of Treasury (which in turn distributed to the NJ State Department of Labor, Division of Taxation, Hughes Justice Complex, Office of the Governor); City of Trenton officials; Mercer County Officials; community and neighborhood organizations.
Background: The project will remediate impacts to soil from the operations of a former manufactured gas plant (MGP) operated by a predecessor company of PSE&G in Trenton from the late 1840s to late 1890s. Approximately 100,000 tons of MGP-impacted soil will be excavated. Any infrastructure related to the former MGP operations that remain underground also will be removed. Most of the work will be performed within a temporary sprung structure (i.e., tented enclosure). Excavated soil will be transported to a permitted off-site soil treatment and disposal facility. The excavated areas will be backfilled with certified clean fill and restored to the pre-existing conditions. Groundwater encountered during soil remediation activities will be treated and conveyed off site in accordance with permitting.
The project is anticipated to take approximately 18 months to complete. The first 12-16 weeks will focus on preparing the site for excavation. All work is being performed in cooperation with and under the oversight of the Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP), and in accordance with the requirements and guidance of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).