Clapper, Patti, Schweizer and Mason

The Flood Damage Reduction Project in Long Hill Township, New Jersey has been put on hold due to the discovery of asbestos in the worksite.  Locally known as the Stirling Floodwall project, the construction of a $10 million dollar flood prevention system will have to wait for asbestos testing results from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) before any work may proceed.

The project is a joint endeavor between the federal/state/and local Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) designed to prevent or at least decrease the damage from frequent flooding in both Stirling and Gillette.

The EPA is testing for friable asbestos (asbestos that may become airborne) along South Main Avenue, more specifically south of Valley Road.  Airborne asbestos can pose a serious health risk for construction workers and the general public.  It can cause cancer, deadly mesothelioma, and several other debilitating diseases. 

Under the Clean Air Act, the EPA has the authority to stop any project if excessive amounts of asbestos are found which could potentially become airborne.  The testing was ordered after officials from the EPA observed what they thought was waste left over from industrial dumping which likely contained asbestos at the site. 

EPA investigators took several soil samples Main Avenue on April 7.  Though testing usually takes up to three months, the EPA investigators expedited the process to minimize the delay in the civil engineering project.  On April 11 results from the testing confirmed that asbestos was present.

The crews doing construction along that area will now need to take special precautions, such as keeping the dirt in the area wet to avoid dust clouds which would contain asbestos.  Normally, under such circumstances crews could pave over the asbestos which would isolate it from vehicles and pedestrians but wetland regulation won’t allow for paving along the stretch of road where the asbestos was found. 

In addition, the EPA would like some sort of action to take place within a couple weeks to minimize the risk of spreading the deadly carcinogen.  Therefore, the crews may be required to lay down a geotextile barrier and cover it with gravel.  The barrier will have to monitored and maintained over the years to ensure the asbestos is safely isolated but it may be the best option for all parties involved.

Officials say they are waiting to see if the EPA will require more testing before they determine how this will ultimately affect the Floodwall Project. 

If the danger to public health is found to be sufficient, the EPA may even shut the project down altogether, negating all the work that has gone into it so far and doubling or even tripling the cost.

The project is jointly funded through various public sources but it is unclear at the moment if the current national and state budget crunches would allow for considerable delays or unexpected hazardous waste cleanup costs.