Shutting down a chemical plant is only part of the process. Preparing the property for its next use requires residual materials, process equipment, environmental requirements, and demolition work to be addressed in the right sequence.
For the former Vertellus castor oil facility in Bayonne, New Jersey, that meant removing decades of industrial infrastructure while safely managing residual process materials and working within the environmental requirements of a waterfront site. The objective was to prepare the property for permitting, resale, and redevelopment.
Project Overview
The project combined demolition, environmental preparation, and infrastructure removal across nearly every major outdoor process area on the site. Phoenix's scope included two process buildings, a sebacic acid processing area, four storage tanks exceeding 250,000 gallons each, two outdoor tank farms containing more than 90 storage tanks, thousands of linear feet of process piping, and three boiler stacks approximately 150 feet tall.
The work also included draining process systems, cleaning tanks and equipment, asbestos abatement, dismantlement, and demolition. Several of the largest tanks were positioned near live power lines, adding another constraint to the removal plan.
Project Challenges
Although the plant owner had begun draining and cleaning the facility after shutdown, substantial quantities of product and residual material remained inside tanks, piping, and process equipment. The operating personnel who had previously managed those systems were no longer available, so the remaining materials first had to be identified, quantified, contained, and prepared for removal or disposal before dismantlement could proceed.
The physical site created additional challenges. Several of the largest storage tanks were located beneath live power lines, requiring careful sequencing throughout the dismantlement process. The waterfront location also meant demolition and material-handling activities had to remain consistent with the site's existing stormwater control plan.
Dismantling Approach
Before demolition began, every vessel was opened and inspected so Phoenix could identify the contents, estimate quantities, and determine the appropriate removal method. Rather than applying one approach across the site, each vessel was evaluated individually based on the condition and physical characteristics of the material that remained inside.
Where liquid product could be recovered, vacuum trucks removed the remaining material before cleaning. Other tanks contained heavy residual heels that could not be removed conventionally. Those vessels were cleaned from the top down and then cut back to the level of the remaining material. Depending on the condition of the contents, the final tank sections were either disposed of with the heels in place or the residual material was removed before the steel was recovered for scrap.
This staged approach allowed dismantlement to continue while accounting for the different materials and conditions encountered across the facility.
Safety, Environmental Compliance, and Logistics
Permitting, utility isolation, equipment mobilization, and environmental planning were completed before field demolition began. Phoenix obtained approximately 90 permits for removal of the outdoor tanks and two demolition permits for the buildings, while the site owner completed the required sewer, water, and electrical disconnects.
Excavators equipped with grapples and shears, cranes, bobcats, and lulls were mobilized for the dismantlement. Throughout the project, Phoenix also worked with Vertellus to recover value where practical. Scrap metal was recycled, while dozens of pieces of process equipment were resold rather than demolished, helping reduce the overall project cost.
A 10-person crew completed the work in approximately four months.
Preparing the Site for Redevelopment
By the end of the project, the outdoor process areas, storage tanks, buildings, piping, and boiler stacks had been removed. Residual process materials had been addressed, reusable equipment had been recovered where practical, and the major demolition scope was complete.
The project left the former processing areas in a condition that allowed Vertellus to move forward with permitting, resale, and redevelopment, while equipment resale and scrap recovery helped reduce the overall cost of preparing the property for its next use.
Project Highlights
- Client: Vertellus
- Location: Bayonne, New Jersey
- Facility: Former Castor Oil Processing Facility
- Major Scope: Two Process Buildings, Sebacic Acid Area, Two Tank Farms, Process Piping and Boiler Stacks
- Large Storage Tanks: Four Tanks Over 250,000 Gallons Each
- Tank Farms: More Than 90 Storage Tanks
- Boiler Stacks: Three, Approximately 150 Feet Tall
- Phoenix Scope: Residual Material Management, Tank Cleaning, Asbestos Abatement, Dismantlement, Demolition, Scrap Recycling and Equipment Resale
- Permitting: Approximately 90 Tank-Removal Permits and 2 Building Demolition Permits
- Crew Size: 10
- Project Duration: Approximately 4 Months
- Asset Recovery: Dozens of Pieces of Process Equipment Resold (See Liquidation)
- Site Constraints: Live Power Lines and Waterfront Stormwater Requirements
- Outcome: Site Prepared for Permitting, Resale and Redevelopment