Galaxy Recycling

Jersey City, NJ

Transforming a legacy industrial property through strategic remediation and regulatory innovation.

Technical Challenges

The site's environmental history presented several complex remediation challenges. Historical investigations dating back to the 1980s documented improper drum storage, wastewater discharges, buried waste materials, contaminated fill, and widespread soil impacts associated with former drum cleaning and reconditioning operations.

Environmental conditions were further complicated by the site's urban setting, historic fill materials, shallow groundwater, and the presence of contaminants regulated under both New Jersey remediation requirements and the federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

RCC completed comprehensive site characterization efforts, integrated multiple decades of environmental data, and developed a conceptual site model to identify contaminant source areas, migration pathways, and remediation priorities. Through detailed evaluation of contaminant distribution and future site conditions, RCC was able to develop a targeted remedial approach that significantly reduced excavation requirements while maintaining protection of human health and the environment.

Project Outcome

The Galaxy Recycling project demonstrates RCC's ability to navigate complex brownfield remediation projects involving multiple contaminants, extensive historical operations, and overlapping regulatory requirements. By combining detailed technical investigation with practical remedial design, RCC successfully advanced the cleanup of a heavily impacted industrial property while supporting its transition toward productive future use.

The project highlights RCC's expertise in urban brownfield remediation, TSCA-regulated PCB cleanup, remedial strategy development, regulatory coordination, and implementation of cost-effective solutions for challenging environmental sites.

Project Overview

Resource Control Consultants (RCC) was retained to lead the environmental investigation, remediation planning, and regulatory compliance efforts for the former Galaxy Recycling property in Jersey City, New Jersey. The approximately 3-acre site had a long industrial history dating back to the early 1900s and included decades of drum reconditioning, transportation, storage, and recycling operations.

Historic activities resulted in widespread environmental impacts to soil, groundwater, and adjacent drainage features. Site contaminants included polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, petroleum hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and metals associated with historical industrial practices and waste handling activities.

RCC's role was to evaluate the extent of contamination, develop a cost-effective remedial strategy, coordinate with regulatory agencies, and oversee implementation of remedial actions necessary to support the property's future use.

Remediation Strategy

RCC prepared and implemented a comprehensive remediation program that included:

  • Site-wide environmental investigation and delineation

  • TSCA Self-Implementing Cleanup and Disposal planning

  • Targeted excavation of PCB and dioxin-impacted soils

  • Off-site transportation and disposal of regulated remediation wastes

  • Groundwater and soil management planning

  • Post-excavation verification sampling

  • Engineering control design and implementation

  • Long-term institutional controls and regulatory compliance documentation

The remedial strategy focused on removing the highest-risk source materials while incorporating engineered barriers and long-term controls to safely manage residual impacts. This approach minimized unnecessary excavation, reduced project costs, and achieved regulatory compliance under both state and federal requirements.