Boswell Engineering (Boswell) was commissioned by the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission (PVSC) to provide the design, environmental permitting and construction management for the Brownfield Site Restoration/Reclamation of the Witco Chemical Plant.

The services provided consisted of design, permitting, bidding assistance, full-time construction management and environmental oversight services for the remediation/demolition of a 100-year old former fatty acid manufacturing plant located adjacent to the PVSC facility (one of the largest wastewater treatment plants in the United States). Prior to the acquisition of this 17- acre site by the PVSC, Boswell assisted in expediting the property transaction by reviewing and reporting on previous environmental investigations performed by the former owner under New Jersey’s Industrial Site Recovery Act.

Prior to demolition, all hazardous materials, including high-intensity discharge lights, mercury switches and gauges, PCB-containing capacitors, lead acid batteries and approximately 450 tons of asbestos containing materials, were identified, removed and disposed of in compliance with all applicable state and federal regulations. In addition, approximately 255 tons of non-hazardous fatty acid residual waste found in storage tanks and process vessels, and 140 tons of fatty acid residual waste discovered beneath building slabs were removed and properly disposed.

Boswell successfully completed the restoration and reclamation of this Brownfield site on schedule and under budget. The former decaying site of the Witco Plant in its present state is now available for development and/or plant expansion by the PVSC.