Middlesex Sampling Plant
Also Known As: MSP, Perry Warehouse
State: New Jersey
Location: Middlesex
Time Period: 1943-1967; 1980-1982 (remediation)
Facility Type: Department of Energy
Facility Description
In 1943, the Manhattan Engineer District (MED)established the Middlesex Sampling Plant to assay, sample, store, and ship uranium, thorium, and beryllium ores.
Until 1950, the plant was operated by the MED and then the AEC. By 1948, Ledoux and Company and Lucius Pitkin, Inc. personnel were stationed on site to perform assaying work. Another contractor, Perry Warehouse, provided laborers until about 1950.
From 1950 to 1955, United Lead, a subsidiary of National Lead Co., operated the plant for the AEC. The plant discontinued uranium and beryllium assaying and sampling activities in 1955 and was used as a thorium storage and sampling site until 1967. In 1967, operations at Middlesex were terminated and all remaining thorium sampling activities were transferred to the Feed Materials Production Center and to the Weldon Spring Plant.
Approximately one dozen contracting companies and subcontractors were involved in the cleanup effort between 1980-1982. No further remediation was performed on-site prior to the responsibility for cleanup being shifted to the Corps of Engineers in 1997.
Throughout the course of its operations, the potential for beryllium exposure existed at this site, due to beryllium use, residual contamination, and decontamination activities.
CONTRACTOR: United Lead Company (1950-1955)
Description
The Middlesex Sampling Plant is located at 239 Mountain Avenue in Middlesex, New Jersey. The facility, which includes several buildings on 9.6 acres, was an entry point for African uranium ores known as pitchblende. These ores, imported for use in the nation’s early atomic energy program, were assayed at the Middlesex Sampling Plant and then shipped to other sites for processing. The site received uranium, thorium and beryllium ores from the 1940s until 1967, at which time the facility was decontaminated to the standards in effect at the time. However, overlooked during decontamination were traces of radioactive materials that had been carried offsite over the years by wind and rain to yards of neighboring homes. Also, records later revealed that in 1948, some radioactively contaminated materials had been trucked from the plant to the Middlesex Municipal Landfill (MML), one-half mile away. In 1980’s, the contaminated residential properties were cleaned up, and the excavated soil was stored at the site in a specially constructed pile, known as the Vicinity Properties (VP) pile. Also in the 1980’s, the contaminated materials disposed of at the MML were excavated, brought back to the site and stored in a specially constructed pile, known as the MML pile. In 1997, the contaminated process building was demolished, and the steel stockpiled for recycling. In 1998 the Corps of Engineers recycled and disposed of the stockpiled steel. In addition the Corps disposed of 33,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil contained within the (MML) pile. In 1999, the Corps prepared an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) to address the Vicinity Property (VP) pile remaining at the site. Between August 1999 and November 1999, the Corps disposed of 35,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil contained within the VP pile. The Corps continues to monitor the air, groundwater, surface water and sediments to ensure that measures being taken to contain the contamination are working. Final cleanup of the contaminated subsurface soil, ground water and remaining structures will be addressed in separate actions.
*Source
Listing
Middlesex Sampling Plant is listed as a Department of Energy (DOE) site under the EEOICPA.
Compensation
As of 03/15/2015, the total compensation paid under Parts B and E of the EEOICPA, including medical compensation, for workers suffering from the effects of having worked at the Middlesex Sampling Plant is $0.
Middlesex Sampling Plant Workers
If you or your parent worked at this or any other DOE or AWE facility and became ill, you may be entitled to compensation of up to $400K plus medical benefits from the US Department of Labor. Call EEOICPA Counsel Hugh Stephens at 1-855-EEOICPA (336-4272) or fill out the form to the right, even if your claim has been accepted or denied.
We can help with all OWCP (Federal Workers Compensation) claims, impairments, wage loss and health care. 2495 Main Street, Suite 442 Buffalo, NY.
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