Update #20
PSE&G Weekly Project Update – Week of August 12, 2024
A contractor of Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) will begin excavation on or about August 15th. 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.
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.
REMINDER: 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.
*Current site access off Market Street will remain the same for the duration of the project. Trucks carrying soil will be covered and go through a wheel wash before entering the roadway.
Anticipated Work to be Performed: August 12th – August 16th
- Begin excavation, pending confirmation the freeze wall is established.
- Continue to run chiller unit for the first part of the freeze wall.
- Continue to install piping for establishing a belowground freeze wall for subsequent areas within the remediation boundary. For more information, https://jfitchwayproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/freezewall.pdf.
- Continue installing truck wash station.
- Continue to construct and test water treatment system.
- Remove and load out asphalt at the northern portion of the site.
Continue Monitoring & Mitigation Measures
- Apply dust suppression and odor controls during remediation activities.
- Continue perimeter air monitoring.
- Continue vibration monitoring between remedial work and the nearest onsite buildings.
- Maintain soil erosion and sediment controls.
- Maintain site security 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Work Performed: August 5th – August 9th
- Completed construction of the enclosure and the air filtration system for the enclosure.
- Continued to run chiller unit for the first part of the freeze wall.
- Continued to install piping for establishing belowground freeze walls.
- Continued to construct and test water treatment system.
- Installed truck wash station.
- Continued perimeter air monitoring.
- Continued dust controls.
- Maintained soil erosion and sediment controls.
- Security guard posted 24/7.
Community Outreach
- Held three Information Sessions – August 6-8 – for state employees.
- Issue 19th 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).