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The Garfield contamination of groundwater is a waste site located in Garfield town within Bergen County in the State of New Jersey. The Garfield area has a rich history of industrial production, including textile and chemical manufacturing. The waste site was occupied by a company that used chromic acid to electroplate their products. The company acted as a micro plating shop that coated metals such as chromium, nickel, and copper with machines. A tank at the company broke down and leaked chromic acid into the groundwater beneath the company, which consequently moved to the areas surrounding the company. The chronic acid leaked, affecting soil and underground water and affecting the neighboring residents with hexavalent chromium (Hwang, 2023). The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) discovered the materials in the groundwater, subsurface soils, and water on the surface flowing to a nearby river. The groundwater in the Garfield area follows two hydrogeological structures: the unconsolidated loose material and the cracked bedrock. Ground water flowing in the loose material is controlled by local topography, and the depth is less than 20 meters. The bedrock consists of silt, mud, and sandstones, and the flow of water in the bedrock reservoir is controlled by the cracks. The groundwater contamination presents a threat to the health of Garfield residents in the surrounding area due to the risk of exposure to the toxic hexavalent chromium.

The company was directed by the New Jersey Environmental Department (NJED) to connect wells that would monitor the spill and recuperate the contaminated groundwater. The company managed to only recover around thirty percent of the spilled chromium. After several years, the NJED permitted the company to close the remaining tanks, but the company did not comply. When it rained and the water flooded, the underground water would rise and overflow into residences and business buildings. When the overflow subsides, dried chromium is left behind as yellow dust, and individuals can inhale or swallow it. A dried yellow powder was found in the walls of a basement in a nearby residential building. A risk assessment was conducted to identify potential health risks and cancer at the waste site, assuming that no further cleanup is done. Samples were sourced from the basement walls, and the results showed toxic levels of hexavalent chromium at 1,490,000 micrograms per liter. This is very high, with the acceptable number being 250 times higher than what is considered safe at 70 micrograms per liter. Hexavalent chromium causes adverse health complications when exposed and has no showable signs of contact. Officials of the New Jersey Environmental Department have warned their residents not to go into their basements since there may be severe contamination present in their homes.

The city is home to approximately thirty thousand people, and they are prone to exposure. Contact with the toxic chemical causes discomfort and complications in the respiratory system and the digestive system of an individual. The chemical is associated with causing different cancers in human beings, for example, throat cancer, lung cancer, and stomach cancer. There have been increasing concerns that the chemical can be inhaled. The NJED ignored prior evidence that the hexavalent chromium was sipping through the neighboring areas of the company and accepted to discontinue the cleanup at only thirty percent. The department was reluctant to control the pollution, citing that there were no leaks dug up, hence ‘it was no threat to public health’. Clearly, the department was wrong since the hexavalent chromium in groundwater was raised into basement walls over the years during heavy rains when water flowed closer to the surface (Doherty, 2023). The New Jersey Department of Health concluded there is a risk of exposure through swallowing and skin contact with surfaces containing chromium particles.

The Environmental Protection Authority recognized harmful chemicals still present inside the facility. The plan to clean up the site will still require a combination of cleanup measures to address the problem in the long run. This includes treating the contaminated underground water with a nonhazardous additive that will reduce the contamination. It also restricts the use of underground water for any use at home or at work (Doherty, 2023). There was a reintroduction of legislation in the Senate to force industries responsible for contamination of the sites to pay for their cleanup. Several hall meetings were also facilitated by the Garfield public health nurse to inform the residents about the toxicity of hexavalent chromium. This helps build awareness within the community about how to protect themselves from exposure. The removal action by the EPA addresses removing harmful metals, demolishing construction, groundwater, and soil at the company site (Hwang, 2023). A partnership between the EPA and NJED was established to provide needed resources, education, and support to the residents who were living in toxic environmental situations.

In conclusion, the Garfield groundwater contamination still remains a threat to the residents of the city. Human exposure is not completely eliminated, and the Garfield site is still a threat to the residents living nearby. The state of New Jersey ought to take more remedial action to clean up the site and protect the residents from potential health hazards. Groundwater treatment is also encouraged to reduce the toxic chemicals in the environment. It is necessary to continue assessing the impact on the effectiveness of the remedial.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Hwang, Chungwan (2023). Environmental Implications of Shale Gas Hydraulic Fracturing: A Comprehensive Review on Water Contamination and Seismic Activity in the United States, Water 15(19), 3334

Doherty, Reveille (2023). Community Engagement Strategies to Promote Environmental Public Health for All Ages, Journal of Aging and Social Changes, 13(2)