1 Month Later: Cleanup Slowing Down After NJ Chlorine Plant Fire

Earlier this month, the town of Kearny, NJ announced that cleanup efforts at the site of a chlorine plant explosion from May have officially transitioned to site remediation.

The Kearny Fire Department released a statement on June 6 outlining plans to begin site remediation on June 11. This would signal that there is no longer an active threat to public health, and any cleanup that is still underway has been contained.

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This announcement comes three weeks after the chemical fire at the chlorine processing facility in South Kearny on May 17. Late that night, gases accumulated as a result of ongoing chemical reactions, creating one explosion that night and another one on the afternoon of May 19, according to Kearny Fire Department Chief Steve Dyl.

Firefighters struggled for days to contain the blaze, and DOT officials were forced to close nearby Pulaski Skyway, Routes 1 and 9, and a portion of the NJ Turnpike due to the spread of toxic fumes.

Now that the situation is officially in remediation, air monitoring stations are being demobilized in neighboring areas, although air monitoring will continue at the explosion site until remediation is completed. A Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) will also be present to coordinate the remaining cleanup the efforts.

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Tags: CERCLA, chemical, chlorine, DEP, EPA, EPCRA, HAZWOPER, New Jersey, NJ