EDISON – Is there ammunition and explosives buried in the former Raritan Arsenal, where Middlesex County plans to build a regional destination for academics, athletics, culture and the arts?
Local environmental activist Walter Stockel Jr. plans to ask the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers this question at a public meeting scheduled for Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Clavier Hall at Middlesex University.
The meeting is intended to present information regarding a proposed program regarding munitions and explosives that may be located on soil at the former Raritan Arsenal, an old defense facility at Edison and Woodbridge.
The Army Corps said Tuesday that there is no unacceptable risk of exposure to munitions or explosives of concern in the Middlesex University area of the former Raritan Arsenal, and that as a result of the site investigation and cleanup operations, no unacceptable risk to human health or the environment exists. It was announced that it was found that this was not the case.
The National Park Service also recently reviewed an environmental assessment of proposed changes to the 161-acre Thomas A. Edison Park near the site adjacent to Middlesex University, which found no significant environmental impacts. did.
Middlesex County’s plan envisions an outdoor multipurpose community venue for concerts, cultural events, and multiple sports, including baseball, soccer, and lacrosse. Workforce Development and Conference Center. A new community park with educational facilities for children. A new student center with campus and community amenities. New Middlesex County Magnet School, School of the Future. There is also an athletic complex with 14 multi-sport fields, 16 tennis courts and a state-of-the-art recreational cricket field.
According to the Corps’ website, the former armory is approximately 3,200 acres, mostly in Edison and some in Woodbridge on the north bank of the Raritan River. It is bounded by Woodbridge Avenue to the north and northwest, Mill Road and an industrial landfill to the southwest, and vacant land and industrial land to the east.
Most of the land is now zoned for industrial use, and much of the former armory has been developed into the Raritan Center Industrial Park.
Raritan Arsenal was developed for military transport during World War I and was decommissioned in 1961. Work at the arsenal included receiving, storing, transporting, and decommissioning armaments, weapons, and machinery. Some of the waste, including weapons and chemicals, was buried at the site, and explosive materials were reportedly destroyed by burning surfaces or burning in rooms and pits, the Army Corps said.
According to the Army Corps, there were no incidents at the site between 1961 and 1963 after accidental explosions in magazine buildings and outdoor storage areas scattered material over a wide area and dropped ordnance fragments to the ground. It said activities were being phased out.
Acquired by the county for parkland through the National Park Service’s federal land park program in 1964, the land was reused and construction began on Thomas A. Edison Park in 1974. Middlesex University occupies approximately 169 acres in the northwest corner of Edison Park. Former Raritan Arsenal.
According to the Army Corps website, potential contamination sites on the Arsenal grounds and buildings have been investigated for years.
During Wednesday’s meeting, Army Corps representatives answered questions and provided slideshows and documents related to proposed plans for munitions and explosives of concern in the soil resulting from historic Army activity at the site. I can do it.
Information can also be found on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers website at the former Raritan Arsenal (www.nan.usace.army.mil/Raritan) or at the Information Repository (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers*New York District, 2890 Woodbridge). Avenue, Edison, NJ 08818.
The public comment period ends on November 18th.
For information on former defense land and the former Raritan Arsenal at Middlesex University, meeting details, and to submit written comments, please contact James Kelly, Project Manager and Technical Officer, New England District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Please contact (James) by email. .A.Kelly@usace.army.mil.
Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, covering crime, courts and other unrest. For unlimited access, subscribe or activate your digital account today.
