BAYONNE – International-Matex Tank Terminals announced on Friday, March 18 that Halecky-IMTT Park at the east end of 27th Street in Bayonne has reopened following the repair of a leaking pipeline last month.
The reopening of the park marks the start of the monitoring phase of IMTT’s cleanup efforts after the company learned on Feb. 22 that an underground pipeline was leaking heating oil.
IMTT discovered the leak after the company received a call from a Hudson County Regional Health Commission representative.
Following an investigation, the company concluded that oil was missing from an active 16-inch pipeline. The leak occurred in a section of pipe that had been replaced in November.
Prior to being placed into service in November, the pipe had been pressure tested and inspected with a monitoring system to ensure its integrity, according to an IMTT spokesperson. The pipeline was damaged when a third-party contractor removed steel-sheet piling following the pipeline replacement.
The company said that it had been in constant communication with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Bayonne municipal authorities, and the Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
“IMTT is a valuable partner and member of the Bayonne community,” Mayor James Davis said. “Their responsible clean-up and recovery operations have ensured that our city remains safe, and I appreciate their ongoing communication with us.”
Since the leak was uncovered, IMTT has removed contaminated soil from the park, replaced it with clean topsoil, and reseeded the ground. The company has been working with a licensed site remediation official to ensure that the area meets environmental standards. The remediation process includes year-long monitoring of the area under DEP supervision.
IMTT said that it is working with the city to replace trees and vegetation that were removed during the clean-up.
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