Ford Motor Company has been working closely with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to follow up on cleanup activities undertaken in the 1980s and 1990s at the Ringwood Mines Landfill Site in Ringwood, New Jersey, where waste materials from Ford's former assembly plant in Mahwah, New Jersey, were disposed from late 1967 through mid-1971. Other parties, including the Borough of Ringwood, used the site for the disposal of waste materials before, during, and after the period when Ford-related wastes were brought to the Site. 

Ford is providing this Progress Update to share information about developments in the investigation and cleanup of the Site during the months of January and February 2007.

Status of Removal Activities

Ford believes it has completed removal activities in eight of the 12 sludge removal (SR) areas identified during the reconnaissance survey.  Ford anticipates completing removal activities in the remaining SR areas by the fall of 2007.

Post-sampling activities are under way in a number of the completed SR areas.  Once the required approvals are received from EPA, Ford will backfill and restore these SR areas.  Ford has received approval to complete restoration activities in SR-1 and SR-2 and will complete backfilling and planting this Spring.

Site-Wide Test Pit Investigation

As reported in our last two progress updates, Ford has been excavating a number of test pits across the Site.  EPA and NJDEP have required the excavation of test pits to evaluate whether paint sludge deposits are located in areas of the Site which, based on the reconnaissance survey (click here to review the reconnaissance survey results), potentially could have been used for disposal.  Ford has completed 74 out of 79 requested test pits.  The remaining locations are on hold due to access limitations or locations relative to historical mine features.  Although vibration studies conducted last year concluded that Ford's activities are not responsible for emerging sink holes, the EPA and DEP are taking precautions in these areas until further geotechnical investigations are completed by the Borough. 

Once the Site-wide Test Pit Investigation is complete, Ford will submit the results to the NJDEP and EPA.  The EPA approved report will be posted on www.ringwoodsiteupdate.com.

Photos of the Test Pit Investigation

SR-8 Investigation Work Plan

In February 2007, Ford submitted a work plan to the EPA to investigate an open cribbed mine shaft within SR-8 to determine if the shaft has been impacted by Ford-related wastes. In addition to collecting groundwater samples from the shaft, Ford proposes to lower a down-hole camera into the cribbed mine shaft to assess the presence of Ford-related wastes.  Ford will post the SR-8 Investigation Work Plan upon EPA approval.

Indiana Bat Survey

This past summer, at the request of the United States Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the EPA, ARCADIS undertook a survey to determine if any Indiana Bats, a Federally Endangered Species, are at the Site.  [The Bat Survey Work Plan is available on the Web at www.ringwoodsiteupdate.com].  No Indiana Bats were observed during the four days of netting operations.  USFWS required Ford to conduct an additional survey to gather further information regarding the possible presence of Indiana Bats.  In February 2007, Ford submitted a proposal to the USFWS and EPA to conduct a Winter Hibernacula Survey through its subcontractor, Bat Conservation Management, Inc. (BCM).  Under the proposal, BCM would inspect mine features/tunnels to determine if Indiana Bats are hibernating on the property.  In the event that certain mine features/tunnels are inaccessible or cannot be fully explored, BCM will conduct harp trapping in April 2007.  The winter survey (and possible spring trapping event) should conclude testing for Indiana Bats foraging in or around the Ringwood area.

Peters Mine Air Shaft Work Plan

At the direction of EPA, Ford has submitted a work plan to sample water from the Peter Mine air shaft (click here to see a map of the area). Ford is anticipating collecting samples in April 2007 to assess the quality of groundwater in this area of the Ringwood site. The number of samples collected will be determined in consultation with EPA and NJDEP after review of footage obtained from the use of a down-hole camera.

Ford Concludes Vibration Study

An independent contractor, Vibra-Tech Engineers, conducted comprehensive testing of vibrations emitted during remedial activities at the site under EPA oversight.  In November 2006, Vibra-Tech Engineers submitted its final report based on data obtained in July 2005, April 2006 and October 2006.   As discussed in Ford's November 2006 Question and Answer document (click here to view the Question & Answer) regarding sink holes at the Site, the data collected over the yearlong study indicate that vibrations associated with Ford's investigation and cleanup activities were generally lower than 'background' vibration levels near the residential properties, and below the standards that the United States Bureau of Mines has established for residential areas.  The data indicate that Ford's activities are not responsible for the emergence of sinkholes in the area. 

In early December 2006, Ford submitted the final results of the study to EPA. Once approved, Ford will post the results of the Vibra-Tech study on www.ringwoodsiteupdate.com./

Community Outreach

On January 30, 2007, representatives from Ford and ARCADIS G&M participated in an EPA-sponsored Ringwood Public Meeting.  The Public Meeting offered local residents and officials, non-government organizations and potentially responsible parties such as Ford the opportunity to exchange information and address community concerns at cleanup sites.  EPA representatives gave a presentation on the status of removal operations and groundwater monitoring results.

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Ford is committed to addressing remaining environmental issues at the Ringwood Site associated with the disposal of Ford-related wastes.  Ford is also committed to keeping the community informed and addressing questions or concerns about Site activities. If you would like a copy of previous issues of the Progress Update, or have any questions regarding activities at the Site, please contact Jon Holt, Ford Community Relations Consultant at (908) 832-0557.