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Collinsville playground project delayed after soil test finds contamination; town identifies abandoned underground tank
Summary
Work at the Collinsville/Tucker Field playground project paused after sampling detected benzoprene near the former school demolition site. Township officials say Green Acres and an LSRP are involved; an underground 3,000‑gallon oil tank was found but contained no oil.
Morris Township officials said on April 16 that work on the Collinsville playground and Tucker Field reconstruction is delayed after environmental sampling found elevated levels of a hydrocarbon compound near the former school demolition area.
"It came back for a chemical called benzoprene, which is from when the school was originally demolished there," Township Administrator Tim Quinn said. He said the township received final approval for a licensed site remediation professional (LSRP) from Green Acres and that additional testing is required to determine whether remediation will require soil removal or capping in limited areas, likely around the basketball court.
Quinn also told the committee that crews located an underground storage tank on the site that appears to be a 3,000‑gallon oil tank from the school's earlier configuration. "When we opened it up and we tested it, there was no oil in it," he said. The township will register the tank with the state as required, remove the tank and test the soil beneath it to confirm whether any contamination exists.
Until the additional soil tests and any necessary remediation are completed, the township said it cannot move bulk soil on the recreation site. Quinn said a contractor will continue work limited to Tucker Field while remediation planning proceeds.
Committee members said the township will notify residents within 400 feet of the park about the issue and the remediation plan. The governing body also discussed funding concerns after a resident asked whether federal grant money tied to the project could be at risk given current uncertainty in Washington, D.C.
Committee members said they were optimistic the project grant remains secure — the township reported active coordination with the local HUD representative — but said the township has a robust open space trust fund and would cover shortfalls if federal funding were delayed or reduced.
No final remediation decision was taken at the meeting. Officials said they will proceed with the LSRP testing and then present remediation options and cost estimates to the committee.
