Somerset County

Environmental Liability and Risk Assessment - Belle Mead Army Depot, NJ

The Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders retained JMS in 2005 to assist the county and Hillsborough Township officials in the purchase and environmental remediation of a 376-acre portion of the former Belle Mead United States Army supply depot located in Hillsborough. In 2005, the site was owned by the United States General Services Administration (GSA) and held as surplus property. Local officials had deemed it an area in need of redevelopment.

The site contains roughly 2.5 million feet of concrete warehouse pads and 24 miles of rail beds and discarded railroad ties. Soil contamination is present throughout the site as a result of past military supply operations. Contributing to this soil contamination is a history of extensive coal locomotive use, on-site PCB transformers, septic systems, battery disposal, and mercury storage.

JMS completed a review of the environmental site record, including investigations from the early 1980s. Based on that review, JMS developed a liability assessment that included a cost estimate to complete remediation of the site. The remediation costs were defined either as those which could be reasonably quantified based on the investigation data available and those with undefined costs, requiring additional information to complete. The JMS estimate was used as the basis for negotiation of the sales price between the County and GSA. As a result, a dual escrow cost agreement was negotiated which reserved the $15 million in purchase funds for the remediation and contained provisions, protective of municipal and county interests, that held GSA responsible for completing the cleanup in the undefined cost areas if available funds proved insufficient.

The property was purchased by the County in 2006 and JMS was retained to direct the remediation of the site in preparation for redevelopment. JMS is working closely with the County and the NJDEP assigned Case Manager to confirm remediation is conducted according to technical regulations and in a timely manner. JMS prepared and submitted a Remedial Investigation Workplan to address the contamination issues on the site, which was approved by the NJDEP.

As part of the Remediation Investigation phase, JMS conducted site wide groundwater sampling events, performed stream sediment sampling, collected potable water samples at nearby residential properties, installed test pits to investigate the former battery debris dumping zone and conducted an extensive concrete chip sampling program on the warehouse slabs at the property. JMS most recently provided oversight for the removal of roughly 24 miles of railroad ties and ballast stone. Remediation of various areas of concern is slated to be completed over the next two to three years.

The County and Township are currently formalizing a brownfield redevelopment plan for the former depot, including a park and recreation areas, with some portions of the property to be zoned for research and development.