1. Provide facility name and address, including corporate structure, EPA ID number, any State or Federal permits and ID numbers.

Facility Name and Address
  Essex County Resource Recovery Facility
  American Ref-Fuel Company of Essex County
  183 Raymond Blvd.
  Newark, NJ 07105-4798
  Tel.: (973) 344-0900

2. Provide financial statement and amount of security, review of closure and post closure estimates.
Company is privately owned and operated.

2. List of acceptable wastes, permitted volumes and final disposal of ash.
Not a RCRA TSDF. Acceptable waste streams are limited to non-hazardous residential, commercial, and industrial refuse. Industrial waste streams may only be accepted with prior approval from the facility. Ash is currently being sent to a licensed solid waste landfill.

4. Provide the following insurance information, comprehensive general liability, workers compensation, environmental impairment and indemnity liability.
All insurance information is available on this website.

4. Is there on-site security and in-house inspections (self audit)?
There is a 24-hour, around the clock security force on site. In-house inspections are done on a daily basis.

Site History

1. What was the site used for prior to current operations?
The site was largely vacant until the mid-1960?s when a portion of the site was used for the storage of abandoned automobiles. The property was owned by the Newark Redevelopment and Housing Authority. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey initiated a site investigation prior to the onset of construction activities. Remediation consisted of removal of areas showing minor contamination of lead and/or petroleum hydrocarbons.

2. How old is the current operation?
Construction of the facility began in February 1988. Receipt of solid waste began late October 1990.

3. Has the site operations changed significantly or has the site been modified since waste treatment (incineration) began on site?
No.

4. What treatment or storage methods were used in the past which are not currently active?
None.

5. How long is the final product (ash) stored on site?
Less than 1 week. Ash is transported to a licensed solid waste landfill.

6. List all reported spills or State or Federal violations in the last three years.
None

7. Are there any consent decrees or litigation pending?
No.

Site Setting

1. Identify neighbors who might potentially be affected by site operations or an accidental spill or release to the environment.
The eastern portion of the East Ward is predominantly industrial in character. Properties bordering the site to the west and south are used for heavy industrial, warehousing and trucking operations. North of the site is the Passaic River. Properties to the east of the site consist of the New Jersey Turnpike right-of-way and the PSE&G Essex Switching Station.

2. Are there any sensitive populations or areas within three miles of the site, i.e., school, hospitals, wetlands, parks, wildlife management areas, recreation or drinking water sources?
Yes. Schools, hospitals, parks, drinking water sources, and wetlands are all located within 3 miles of the site.

3. Identify the closest residential populations, i.e., distance.
Less than 1/2 mile from the property line.

4. What is the drinking water source in the area?
A series of five reservoirs supply water to the City of Newark.

5. Are any wells used to supply drinking water in the area?
No.

6. Identify the depth to groundwater.
Depth of groundwater is 6 to 15 feet and varies according to tide and level of the Passaic River.

7. Does the facility emit any significant air emissions which might potentially affect workers and/or the local population?
No.

Regulatory Compliance

1. Are all permits current?
Yes

2. Are any up for renewal in the 2000?
Yes - please see permit list and expiration dates.

3. Have any permits expired or been revoked?
No.

4 Is the facility complying with all requirements of the permit?
Yes

5. Has the facility been issued any notices of violation? A compliance history summary is available upon request.

6. Is the Facility a party in any lawsuits? Is the Facility currently under a consent decree or order? If yes, is the Facility complying with the requirements of the decree order?
A compliance history summary is available upon request.

7. Please provide all necessary documentation provided by State or Federal authorities that indicate that are ash is legally considered non-hazardous.
Ash is tested on a monthly basis for RCRA metals and annually for dioxins. Copies of these reports are available at the facility.

8. Is the following training given to employees?
  (a) Hazardous (RCRA) and/or non-hazardous waste handling procedures.
  Yes
  (b) OSHA Hazard Communications and Right to Know, if applicable.
  Yes
  (c) OSHA 1910.120 (Emergency Response Training), if applicable.
  First responder awareness level (I) is provided for appropriate personnel. Equivalent training for first responder at the operations level (II) is provided for Operations Personnel.

9. Does the facility have a contingency plan or emergency response plan?
Yes.

10. When was the plan last revised?
Revised Contingency Plan was approved on 11/97.

Waste Handling & Containment

1. Is any waste that is delivered to the facility for processing contained in drums on-site? If yes, is the containment area diked, in good condition, impervious and orderly?
Facility is not a TSDF. Non-hazardous waste material is stored in the refuse bunker.

2. Is waste that is delivered to the facility for processing contained in tanks on-site? If yes, are tanks in good condition and what are their approximate age?
Facility is not a TSDF. Non-hazardous waste material is stored in the refuse bunker.

3. What is the permeability of the diking and containment structures utilized on-site?
The refuse bunker is approximately 69 feet wide by 269 feet long by 95 feet deep. The bunker has a storage capacity of approximately 13,000 tons which is a 4 to 5 day supply of refuse with all three boilers operating at maximum continuous rating. Refuse bunker foundation is constructed of reinforced concrete. 

Other tanks used to hold process chemicals onside are all installed in secondary containment and are coated with impervious linings. Tanks are maintained under a discharge prevention control and countermeasure plan which requires integrity testing at specified frequencies. 

4. How is runoff handles from containment or operations areas?
Refuse handling operation is conducted within an enclosed area (the Tipping Bay). Other portions of the facility have been modified to provide secondary containment for bulk production chemical off-loading areas.

5. Is the storm water discharge monitored and regulated under NPDES permit?
Storm water is routed and reused to support process water requirements. Excess storm water that overflows from the containment system is sampled and reported under the current NPDES permit.

6. How is waste handled in order to prevent releases, safety hazards or contact with incompatible material, i.e., containment, segregation, etc.?
Yes

Services

1. What method of treatment, storage or disposal are offered by the facility, i.e., storage method, treatment and disposal methods on site?
Incineration with assured destruction.

2. What types of waste is the facility permitted to accept?
Non-hazardous solid waste types:
ID 10 - Municipal waste (household, commercial and institutional) ID 13 - Vegetative Waste (except for bulk quantities) ID 27 - Dry Industrial Waste (except asbestos and asbestos containing wastes; dry non-hazardous pesticides; contaminated soils; and hazardous waste as defined in 40 CFR 261 which is generated by small quantity generators.)

3. Are there any limits to the quantity?
Yes. The Solid Waste permit establishes a limit of 985,500 tons per year of non-hazardous wastes.

4. How is each specific waste type handled or treated on site?
The material is deposited onto the Tipping Bay floor or directly into the refuse bunker. Refuse cranes operating from remote stationary control cabins mix, stockpile and feed the solid waste not subject to separation to the furnaces. The facility uses the mass burn DBA Duesseldorf Roller Grate System to combust the solid waste and converts the energy produced to electricity.

5. Does the facility broker any waste off site? If yes, which waste and where?
No.

6. Is the facility backed by a parent company? If yes, what is the name of that company?
This facility is owned and operated by American Ref-Fuel Company. 
 

Quality Control Waste Receipt and Analysis

1. What type of waste approval process is used at the facility? 

Customers are required to complete an American Waste profile detailing the waste characteristics. Once completed, profiles are routed to the Special Waste Services group in Montvale, New Jersey. The waste characterization group evaluates the waste for acceptability with regulatory, operational, and safety/industrial hygiene acceptability. Once approved through the corporate office, profiles are routed to the receiving location for a secondary review. In some locations, a separate State approval is required. Waste is not permitted to be disposed of at any location until all these steps are completed.

2. What types of analyses are conducted on waste received at the facility prior to admittance?

analysis requirements will vary depending on waste streams. 

3. Is the analysis adequate to verify the waste stream and to prohibit waste which the facility is not permitted to receive?

Yes. It remains the responsibility of the generator to accurately represent their waste and if not properly characterized, the waste will not be approved for disposal. Ref-Fuel always reserves the right to request additional analytical work where required. 

4. Does the facility track waste and maintain records on receipt, analysis, and destruction or disposal?

Yes.

Residuals Management

1. What residues are generated from on-site processes, i.e., ash, empty drums, spent carbon, bio-sludge, filters, etc.?
Ash residue and ferrous metals.

2. What methods are used for disposal of residues generated at the Facility or site?
Ref-Fuel employees load both the ferrous and ash residues onto various contractor vehicles onsite. Once loaded, the residues are then transported to a landfill or recycling facility.