Jul 03

PSE&G Weekly Project Update – Week of July 8, 2024

Update #15

PSE&G Weekly Project Update – Week of July 8, 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.

Work began the week of April 15th.  The first 12-16 weeks will focus on preparing the site for excavation. All soil disturbance activities are part of this preparation and outside the area of remediation.

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.

NOTICE:

For the safety of employees and the community, the sidewalk and walking path adjacent to Route 29 (Market Street) and at the PSE&G project entrance has been closed. Please use an alternate route.

Anticipated Work to be Performed: July 8th – July 12th     

  • Continue to mobilize equipment and personnel to the site.
  • Continue to construct the enclosure. The enclosure is being constructed in sections, which then will be assembled and reinforced to form the tent’s frame. Once the frame is completed, the cover will be added and secured. 
  • Load out asphalt as needed.
  • Continue 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 to install equipment necessary for providing electric for the freeze wall, including transformer and switch gear.
  • Continue perimeter air monitoring.
  • Maintain soil erosion and sediment controls.
  • Security guard posted 24/7.  

Work Performed: July 1st – July 3rd     

  • No site work was performed July 4th and 5th, in observance of the July 4th holiday.
  • Continued to mobilize equipment and personnel to the site.
  • Continued to construct the enclosure. The enclosure is being constructed in sections, then the sections will be assembled, and the cover added and secured. 
  • Continued to remove asphalt, soft dig and pre-trench excavation limits (outside area of remediation). Underground infrastructure is removed. All located pipes are first identified, confirmed as inactive, and are cut and capped outside the area of known impacts.
  • Continued to install piping for establishing a belowground freeze wall.
  • Completed construction of the water treatment system.
  • Continued to install equipment necessary for providing electric to the freeze wall, including transformer and switch gear.
  • Continued perimeter air monitoring
  • Maintained soil erosion and sediment controls.
  • Security guard posted 24/7.

Community Outreach 

  • Issued 14th 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).