Update #8
PSE&G Weekly Project Update – Week of May 20, 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 first 12-16 weeks will focus on preparing the site for excavation and all soil disturbance activities are outside the area of remediation.
As of Friday, May 17th at 3 PM, the current walkway to the Department of Labor Building is closed and the alternative walkway to the east of the helipad is open. Representatives of the project will be available to assist as needed. A security guard will be posted by the new walkway.
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 20 – May 24
- Continue to mobilize equipment and personnel to the site.
- Continue to soft dig and pre-trench excavation limits (outside area of remediation).
- Begin to install piping for establishing a belowground freeze wall. This will provide necessary support for the future remediation. For more information, https://jfitchwayproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/freezewall.pdf.
- Continue installing crack and settlement monitoring targets around the helipad and Department of Labor building, outside of the excavation area. These targets will be monitored by survey equipment.
- Continue perimeter air monitoring.
- Maintain soil erosion and sediment controls.
- Security guard posted 24/7.
Work Performed: May 13 – May 17
- Continued to mobilize equipment and personnel to the site.
- Continued to remove asphalt; soft dig and pre-trench excavation limits.
- Paved and completed temporary asphalt walkway on the east side of the helipad.
- Installed lighting for temporary walkway on the east side of the helipad.
- Removed light poles from work area.
- Installed pads for electrical infrastructure.
- Began installing crack and settlement monitoring targets around the helipad and Department of Labor building, outside of the excavation area. These targets will be monitored by survey equipment.
- Continued concrete and asphalt loadout.
- Continued perimeter air monitoring
- Maintained soil erosion and sediment controls.
- Security guard posted 24/7.
- Close existing sidewalk west of the helipad (Friday May 17, 2024)
- Open new temporary walkway (Friday May 17, 2024)
Community Outreach
- Issued 7th 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. 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).