Polluted New Jersey: The most toxic sites in your neighborhood

The Garden State might as well be called the Toxic Waste State.

New Jersey has 114 Superfund sites — more than any other state in the nation.

According to Pete Lopez, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator, the multi-billion-dollar Superfund program allows the EPA to clean up the most contaminated properties and waterways in the nation.

The sites stretch from every corner of the state, in all but one county. The sites include properties polluted by private companies and government agencies alike.

The consequences of the pollution have been dire, damaging sources of drinking water and affecting people's health. In some cases, the damage was inflicted decades before evidence of the contamination was discovered.

As lengthy as it might be, New Jersey's list of Superfund Sites is but a drop in the cesspool. The state of New Jersey has its own list of known contaminated sites identifying more than 14,100 properties that likely includes the landfill, junkyard, corner gas station or former dry cleaners in your town.

Newark, the state's largest city, has the most contaminated sites: 757. Jersey City follows with 670.

It's New Jersey's legacy from the Industrial Revolution, when factories located in tightly packed New Jersey and generated toxic waste in a time of few if any environmental regulations.

“We had raw, incredible productivity, but there were no controls,” Lopez said. “If you want to look for a parallel, just look at where China and India are in our current day: You can see massive pollution, massive degradation and raw economic output without environmental controls in place.”

Below is a list of the Superfund sites in New Jersey, including the date they were first listed and brief summaries from EPA documentation. Click on the links to get more information.

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Superfund & contaminated sites

A county-by-county listing of all federal Superfund sites in order of severity and a tally of all known contaminated sites in each municipality.

D’Imperio Property
Hamilton
September 1983

The 15-acre site includes a former disposal area where wastes were illegally disposed of. Groundwater is contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are potentially harmful contaminants that easily evaporate in the air.

Emmell’s Septic Landfill
Galloway
July 1999

From 1967 to 1979, the 38-acre area was used for disposal of septic wastes and sewage sludge. Other wastes included chemical wastes, drums of paint sludge, gas cylinders, household garbage and construction debris.

South Jersey Clothing Co.
Buena
October 1989

SJCC once made military uniforms. As part of the manufacturing process, assembled garments were treated by a dry-cleaning unit that used trichloroethylene (TCE).

Federal Aviation Administration Technical Center
Atlantic County
August 1990

FAA and National Guard activities led to soil, sediment and groundwater contamination. A Naval Air Station previously located there also contributed to it.

Price Landfill
Egg Harbor Township
April 2005

Beginning in 1971, Price Landfill began to accept a combination of both drummed and bulk liquid wastes. It is estimated that over 9 million gallons of chemical waste were disposed of at the site during landfill operations. As a result, soil and groundwater in the area are contaminated.

Garden State Cleaners Co.
Buena
March 1989

A dry cleaning facility was located on site. Facility operations contaminated soil and groundwater with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are potentially harmful contaminants.

All known contaminated sites in Atlantic:

Scientific Chemical Processing
Carlstadt
September 1983

The site includes a six-acre property where a waste processing facility that accepted various wastes for recovery and disposal was located. About 375,000 gallons of hazardous substances were stored on site in tanks, drums and tank trailers. The facility shut down in 1980 in response to a court order. Some

Universal Oil Products (Chemical Division)
East Rutherford
September 1983

Various chemicals were manufactured at the 75-acre area from 1932 until 1979, when the company ceased operations and dismantled the plant. The company also recovered solvents and waste chemicals at the site from 1960 through 1979. About 4.5 million gallons of waste solvents and solid chemical wastes were dumped into two unlined lagoons.

Ventron/Velsicol
Wood-Ridge and Carlstadt
September 1984

A mercury processing plant operated at the site from 1929 until 1974. Process waste, containing mercury and other contaminants was disposed of on the 40-acre property.

Maywood Chemical
Maywood, Lodi and Rochelle Park
September 1983

From 1916 through 1955, the Maywood Chemical Works processed radioactive thorium ore on site, which resulted in residual radioactive thorium waste.

Quanta Resources
Edgewater
September 2002

Starting in the late 1800s, coal tar, paving and roofing materials were made at the site by various companies. Quanta Resources operated an oil processing facility there from 1974 to 1981, when the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) closed the site

Fair Lawn Well Field
September 1983

In 1978, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in these municipal supply wells located in a residential neighborhood adjacent to the Fair Lawn Industrial Park. Thermo Fisher Scientific Company, LLC (Fisher) and Sandvik, Inc. (Sandvik), were identified as contributing sources to the groundwater contamination.

Curcio Scrap Metal
Saddle Brook
July 1987

In 1982, CSMI received shipments of 50 electrical transformers. While cutting the transformers, oil containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) spilled on the ground.

Garfield Ground Water Contamination
September 2011

The site consists of the E.C. Electroplating (ECE) property and a chromium groundwater plume that extends a half-mile west from the ECE property to the Passaic River.

All known contaminated sites in Bergen:

Ewan Property
Shamong
September 1984

Waste disposal activities took place at the 43-acre site in 1974 and 1975, resulting in soil and groundwater contamination with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including acetone, toluene, xylene and trichloroethylene; semi-volatile compounds (SVOCs), and some heavy metals, including arsenic, chromium and aluminum.

Lang Property
Pemberton Township
September 1983

Two acres of the 40-acre area were used as an illegal dumping ground for abandoned vehicles, tires and other debris. In 1975, between 1,200 and 1,500 drums of unidentified chemical waste were discovered on the property. The owners removed the drums in 1976. Before their removal, the drums were emptied into unlined pits or the contents were spilled on the ground.

Roebling Steel Co.
Florence
September 1983

The site included two inactive sludge lagoons and an abandoned landfill. Soil all around the site is contaminated with heavy metals such as lead, chromium and cadmium. River and creek sediments and wetlands were contaminated with heavy metals such as lead, chromium and copper, and hazardous oils and tars. Groundwater under the site is sporadically contaminated with various heavy metals, including arsenic, lead and copper in a small number of wells.

Cinnaminson Township (Block 702) Groundwater Contamination
Cinnaminson and Delran
June 1986

The site covers approximately 400 acres. The site consists of residential properties, light to heavy industrial properties and properties where landfill operations were historically conducted.

Ellis Property
Evesham and Medford
September 1983

Originally a dairy farm, approximately 4 acres of the 36-acre tract was used for drum storage and reconditioning operations.

Cosden Chemical Coatings Corp.
Beverly
July 1987

A paint formulation and manufacturing facility operated at the 6.7-acre site from 1945 until 1989, when it permanently closed. It produced coatings for industrial applications. Facility operations contaminated soil and groundwater with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), metals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Landfill & Development Co.
Mount Holly
September 1984

The 200-acre landfill was used to dispose of demolition debris, municipal garbage, industrial and commercial solid waste, and treated sewage sludge until 1986.

Woodland Route 72 Dump
Woodland
September 1984

The 12-acre area is an inactive industrial dump, just two miles from an almost identical site – the Woodland Township Route 532 site. Both sites are on the Superfund program’s National Priorities List.  In addition to chemical contaminants in soil and water, some areas of the site exhibited gamma radiation exposure at levels greater than the EPA-recommended action level.

Woodland Route 532 Dump
Woodland
September 1984

The 20-acre area is an inactive chemical waste dump. Illegal dumping started after nearby residents forced abandonment of an almost identical site along Route 72. Several chemical companies disposed of wastes at the Woodland Township Route 532 Dump site from 1956 until the mid-1960s, dumping, burning and burying drummed and bulk materials.

Kauffman & Minteer Inc
Springfield
March 1989

From 1960 to 1981, the company discharged wastewater used to clean the inside of its trucks into a drainage ditch and an unlined lagoon. Discharges from the lagoon and truck washing areas contaminated shallow groundwater beneath the site and threaten the Wenonah-Mount Laurel (intermediate) Aquifer, a major source of potable water

All known contaminated sites in Burlington:

GEMS Landfill
Gloucester Township
September 1983

Municipal and industrial wastes were routinely disposed of at the site from 1969 to 1980.

Sherwin Williams/Hilliars Creek
Gibbsboro and Voorhees
March 2008

Decades of direct discharge of materials to Hilliards Creek from lagoons, improper storage and handling resulting in spills and releases, and leaking tanks all led to widespread contamination. Hilliards Creek, which originates within the former production area, is contaminated and flows for over a mile, where it then discharges into Kirkwood Lake

Puchak Well Field
Camden
March 1998

The 450,000-square-foot area consists of six public supply wells owned and operated by the City of Camden. Contamination was first detected in well No. 6 in the early 1970s. Contaminants included chromium and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

Martin Aaron
Camden
July 1999

Various steel drum reconditioning companies operated at the site for approximately 30 years, ending in 1998. Industrial activity at the site contaminated soil and groundwater with arsenic, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), volatile organic compounds, and other chemicals.

United States Avenue Burn
Gibbsboro
July 1999

From the mid-1800s until 1977, John Lucas & Company, and eventually the Sherwin-Williams Company, operated a paint manufacturing facility. Reports indicate that paint wastes and solvents were dumped or poured onto the ground at the site and often burned.

King of Prussia
Winslow
September 1983

King of Prussia Technical Corporation treated industrial waste and disposed of hazardous liquids at the 10-acre area from 1970 to 1973. From 1973 to 1975, Evor Phillips, Inc. owned the site and continued operations. In 1975, the site was abandoned. About 15 million gallons of wastewater containing toxic chemicals were delivered to the site.

Swope Oil & Chemical Co.
Pennsauken
September 1983

From 1965 to through Decemebr 1979, the Swope Oil & Chemical Company operated a chemical reclamation facility which processed solvents, oil, paints and other chemical compounds. Waste disposal operations contaminated groundwater and soil with hazardous chemicals.

Lightman Drum Co.
Berlin
October 1999

The 15-acre area includes a former industrial waste hauling and drum reclamation business and associated groundwater contaminant plumes.

Welsback & General Gas Mantle (Camden Radiation)
Camden and Gloucester City
June 1996

The Welsbach Company manufactured gas mantles at its facility in Gloucester City from the 1890s through the 1940s, while the General Gas Mantle Facility (GGM) operated in Camden from 1912 to 1941. Some of the waste materials from the manufacturing process contained the radioactive elements thorium and radium. These elements give off gamma radiation as part of the process of radioactive decay. It is believed that these waste materials were used as fill throughout areas of Gloucester City and Camden.

All known contaminated sites in Camden:

Williams Property
Middle Township
September 1983

In August 1979, about 150 drums of liquid chemical wastes and sludge were emptied on site, contaminating soil and groundwater with hazardous chemicals.

All known contaminated sites in Cape May:

Fomer Kil-Tone Co. 
Vineland
April 2016

The former Kil-Tone Company manufactured arsenic-based pesticides from the late 1910s until the late 1930s. Elevated concentrations of arsenic and/or lead have been identified in soil on the property itself and at various residential and commercial properties.

Vineland Chemical Co. 
Vineland
September 1984

The Vineland Chemical Company operated from 1949 to 1994 and produced arsenical herbicides and fungicides. The company stored byproduct arsenic salts in open piles, lagoons and chicken coops. As a result, arsenic contamination has been found in groundwater, surface water, sediment, and soil throughout the area.

Nascolite Corp.
Millville and Vineland
September 1984

Nascolite Corporation manufactured polymethyl methacrylate (poly-MMA) sheets, commonly known as plexiglass or acrylic. Liquid wastes leaked from the underground tanks into the surrounding soils and groundwater.

Iceland Coin Laundry Area Ground Water 30.30
Vineland
October 1999

The contaminated ground water plume encompasses South Delsea Drive, Dirk Drive, Garrison Road, Lois Lane, South Orchard Road, West Elmer Road, and West Korff Drive.

All known contaminated sites in Cumberland:

Caldwell Trucking Co.
Caldwell
September 1983

It consists of properties and groundwater contaminated by the disposal of residential, commercial and industrial septic waste.

Unimatic Manufacturing Corp.
Fairfield
May 2014

From 1955 until 2001, Unimatic operated an aluminum die casting manufacturing process at the Site. The PCB-contaminated lubricating oil resulted in spillage and splatter throughout the interior of the building. The wastewater pipes were poorly constructed allowing the contaminated wastewater to leak into the groundwater, soil, and sediment at the property.

Riverside Industrial Park
Newark
May 2013

From 1902 to 1971, the property was used for paint and varnish manufacturing by Patton Paint Company. From the 1970s to the present day, the property has been used by various companies for a variety of businesses from chemical packaging to chemical and cosmetics manufacturing. Investigations into a 2009 spill of oily material into the Passaic River revealed multiple potentially immediate threats to human health and the environment from improper waste storage.

Orange Valley Regional Ground Water Contamination
City of Orange and West Orange
September 2012

Public water supply wells were found to contain tetrachloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE) and cis-1,2-dichloroethylene (cis-1,2-DCE),

Pierson’s Creek
Newark
September 2014

In addition to the discharge of mercury-contaminated wastewater, there is a history of spills and discharges to the ground surface characterized by puddles of chemicals on the ground; mercury droplets on the ground and in runoff reaching Pierson's Creek.

U.S. Radium Corp.
City of Orange
September 1983

From 1917 to 1926, the U.S. Radium Corporation operated a radium processing plant at the 2-acre area. Waste from the plant was disposed of on and off the facility property, contaminating the site and nearby properties with radium-226.

Diamond Alkali Co.
Newark
September 1984

Production of DDT and other chemical products began at 80 Lister Avenue in the 1940s. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Diamond Alkali Company owned and operated the facility, manufacturing agricultural chemicals, including the herbicides used in the defoliant known as “Agent Orange,” among other products.

White Chemical Corp.
Newark
September 1991

4.4-acre vacant lot located at 660 Frelinghuysen Avenue in Newark, New Jersey. Historic industrial activities at the site included the manufacturing of a variety of acid chlorides and fire retardant compounds.

All known contaminated sites in Essex:

Lipari Landfill
Pitman
September 1983

A 6-acre inactive landfill that, between 1958 and 1971, accepted household waste, liquid and semi-solid chemical wastes, and other industrial materials. These wastes were disposed of in trenches originally excavated for sand and gravel. Approximately 3,000,000 gallons of liquid wastes and 12,000 cubic yards of solid wastes were disposed of at the site.

Helen Kramer Landfill
Mantua
September 1983

The site became a landfill between 1963 and 1965. Several types of wastes were deposited in the landfill, including municipal wastes, septage, industrial wastes, hospital wastes and industrial wastes. The landfill ceased operation in 1981. Its operations contaminated groundwater with hazardous chemicals.

Bridgeport Rental & Oil Service
Logan
September 1983

The site was the location of a waste oil storage and recovery facility from 1960 to 1981. The area included a 13-acre waste lagoon and a tank farm with approximately 100 tanks and process vessels. Initial estimates indicated that the lagoon contained about 2.5 million gallons of oil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 80,000 cubic yards of PCB-contaminated sediments and sludge, and 70 million gallons of contaminated wastewater.

Shieldalloy Corp.
Newfield
September 1984

The 67.5-acre area was the location of a specialty plant where chromium alloy and other products were produced. Past disposal practices, including the release of processed wastewater, caused groundwater contamination. Soil is contaminated with heavy metals.

Mateo & Sons Inc.
West Deptford
September 2016

The Matteo family has operated an unregistered landfill, junkyard, and a metals recycling facility at the site since 1961.

Chemical Leaman Tank Lines Inc.
Bridgeport
September 1984

In 1961, Chemical Leaman Tank Lines, Inc. began operating a facility on 34 acres, to wash and rinse tanker trucks. Company operators emptied wastewater into seven on-site lagoons bordering the surrounding wetlands. Liquid sludge that accumulated at the bottom of the lagoons and additional holding tank spills eventually contaminated the groundwater supply.

Matlack Inc.
Woolwich
May 2013

A truck terminal operated at the site from 1962 to 2001. Previous activities at the 70-acre facility included the cleanup of trucks and tankers used for transporting a variety of materials including flammable and corrosive liquids. The polluted cleaning solution was disposed of in an unlined lagoon behind the terminal building from 1962 until 1976

Franklin Burn
Franklin
June 1996

Scrap copper wire and possibly other electrical components were placed on the ground and burned to remove the plastic coatings and insulation so that the remaining copper could be recovered for sale. The burning process generated contaminated ash and debris piles, which contained hazardous substances that contaminated site soils, sediment, groundwater and small pools of surface water.

Hercules Inc. (Gibbstown Plant)
Gibbstown
September 1983

A hydroperoxide/dicumyl peroxide manufacturing facility formerly operated in the plant process area. Operations at the plant ceased and the structures associated with manufacturing activities were demolished in 2010.

All known contaminated sites in Gloucester:

Standard Chlorine
Kearny
September 2007

Manufacturing activities from about 1916 to 1993 included the production, storage and packaging of moth balls and flakes, manufacture of lead-acid batteries, formulation of drain cleaners, production of dye carriers, and distillation and purification of chlorinated benzenes. Releases of hazardous substances to the soil, surface water and groundwater have been documented since at least the early 1980s.

Syncon Resins
Kearny
September 1983

The Syncon Resins facility produced alkyd resin carriers for pigments, paints and varnish products. Wastewater was pumped to an unlined lagoon to evaporate or percolate into the soil.

Diamond Head Oil Refinery Division
Kearny
September 2002

From 1946 to early 1979, during facility operations, multiple aboveground storage tanks and possibly subsurface pits were used to store oily wastes. These wastes were intermittently discharged directly to adjacent properties to the east, and to the wetland area on the south side of the Site, creating an “Oil Lake.”

PJP Landfill
Jersey City
September 1983

From about 1970 to 1974, the PJP Landfill Company operated a commercial landfill at the site, accepting chemical and industrial waste. Landfill operations contaminated leachate and groundwater with hazardous chemicals.

All known contaminated sites in Hudson:

Curtis Specialty Papers
Milford
September 2009

The 86-acre site is the location of a former paper mill, which operated from 1907 to 2003. During the time the mill was in operation, the facility reported several spills on the property.

De Rewal Chemical Co.
Kingwood
September 1984

From 1970 to 1973, the DeRewal Chemical Company used the site for the storage of chemicals. Numerous chemical spills were reported in 1973, including one incident in which the contents of a tank truck containing an acidic chromium solution were allowed to drain onto the soil.

Myers Property
Franklin
September 1983

In the 1940s, several companies manufactured pesticides at the eight-acre site. Elf Atochem, now Arkema, purchased the site property in 1993.

All known contaminated sites in Hunterdon:

There are no superfund sites in Mercer County.

All known contaminated sites in Mercer: 

CPS/Madison Industries
Old Bridge
September 1983

Since 1967, site operators improperly handled and disposed of hazardous substances, including discharges into the public sewer system, resulting in soil and groundwater contamination.

Horseshoe Road
Sayreville
September 1995

The first area is the Atlantic Development Corporation Facility, which was used for chemical processing of coal tar, asbestos, sealants, epoxy resins, and pesticides, as well as other solvents and potentially harmful chemicals. The second area is the Horseshoe Road Drum Dump, which was used for disposal from 1972 into the early 1980s. The last area, the Sayreville Pesticide Dump, was also used for disposal, from about 1957 into the early 1980s.

Kin-Buc Landfill
Edison
September 1983

The 220-acre site is composed of an inactive landfill that operated from the late 1940s to 1976. The site accepted hazardous waste during this period, until the state revoked its permit in 1976 due to the violation of several environmental statutes.

Cornell Dubilier Electronics Inc.
South Plainfield
July 1998

CDE operated at the facility from 1936 to 1962, manufacturing electronic components, including capacitors containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and chlorinated organic solvents. The company disposed of PCB-contaminated materials and other hazardous substances directly on the property soils.

Raritan Bay Slag
Old Bridge and Sayreville
November 2009

The Laurence Harbor seawall, which makes up part of the site, was reported to have had metal slag from blast furnace bottoms deposited along the beachfront in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Elevated concentrations of lead, antimony, arsenic and copper have been identified by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

Atlantic Resources Corp.
Sayreville
September 2002

The Atlantic Resources Corporation facility was a precious metals recovery operation. Gold and silver were recovered by incineration and smelting, or acid etching, from fly ash, x-ray and photographic film, circuit boards, building material and other waste materials. Waste solvents were also accepted for use as fuel in the incinerators. The Atlantic Resources Corporation owned and operated the facility from 1972 until it filed for bankruptcy in 1985.

Middlesex Sampling Plant
Middlesex Borough
January 1999

The 9.6-acre area was part of the nation’s early atomic energy program established by the Manhattan Engineer District in 1943. The site was primarily used to sample, store, test and transfer ores containing uranium, thorium, and beryllium.

Woodbrook Road Dump
South Plainfield
April 2003

Dumps operated on the two properties during the 1940s and 1950s, accepting household and industrial wastes until the State of New Jersey shut them down in 1958. Partially buried, leaking capacitors were discovered in September 1999. After the capacitors were removed, an investigation found soils contaminated with high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

Global Sanitary Landfill
Old Bridge
March 1989

The 57.5-acre area was used for solid waste disposal from about 1968 to 1984. Drums containing paint, paint thinner and various solvents were buried in the landfill from 1968 to 1977. Groundwater underneath the site has been contaminated by pollutants leaching from the landfill.

JIS Landfill
Jamesburg and South Brunswick
September 2009

From 1956 to 1980, about 50,000 cubic yards of waste were disposed of at the landfill annually. JIS placed a cap over the northern half of the landfill in 1983. The southern half of the landfill was capped in 1985. Groundwater on site is contaminated with metals, pesticides and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are potentially harmful contaminants some of which can easily evaporate into the air.

Evor Phillips Leasing
Old Bridge
September 1983

In the early 1970s, the site was used for various waste treatment, hauling and disposal businesses. A state investigation conducted in 1982 estimated that approximately 150 drums containing chemicals were buried at the site.

Fried Industries
East Brunswick
September 2012

For 25 years, Fried Industries operated the site and manufactured floor finishing products, aqueous detergent solutions, adhesives and algaecides in its building complex and manufacturing areas.

Chemsol Inc.
Piscataway
September 1983

Chemsol operated a solvent recovery and waste reprocessing facility there from the 1950s through about 1964. Numerous accidents, fires and explosions resulted in soil, groundwater and air contamination.

Chemical Insecticide Corp.
Edison
August 2005

Chemical Insecticide Corporation owned and operated an industrial facility at the site from 1954 to 1970. These activities, combined with poor housekeeping, led to widespread chemical contamination as well as migration of contaminants off site.

All known contaminated sites in Middlesex:

Lone Pine Landfill
Freehold Township
August 1983

Along with municipal refuse and septage wastes, at least 17,000 drums and several million gallons of bulk liquid chemical wastes were disposed of in the landfill. The nature of these disposed materials is largely unknown.

Burnt Fly Bog
Marlboro
September 1983

Contamination of part of the site began during the 1950s and the early 1960s, with the direct dumping and spreading of hazardous materials resulting from recycled waste oil operations. In addition to oil reprocessing activities, the site is also the former location of a landfill and dump. These activities have resulted in surface water, sediment and soil contamination.

Zschiegner Refining
Howell
August 2016

The site is a 6.1-acre former metals refining facility. On-site operations included the chemical stripping of precious metals from watchbands, film and electrical components. Facility operations contaminated soil, sediments, groundwater and a building.

Waldwick Aerospace Devices Inc.
Wall
June 1986

The property was used for manufacturing and plating metal parts for the aerospace industry. In 1982, state and county inspectors found that wastewater and used machine oil was being discharged directly onto the ground. Samples revealed that the wastes contained heavy metals, acids and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Bog Creek Farm
Howell
September 1983

Between 1973 and 1974, organic solvents and paint residues were dumped there, contaminating soil, sediment, surface water and groundwater with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and heavy metals.

White Swan Cleaners/Sun Cleaners Area Ground Water Contamination Area
Wall
September 2004

The dry cleaners operated from around 1960 to 1991. Contaminated groundwater extends from the general area of Sea Girt Avenue and Route 35 in an eastward direction toward the Atlantic Ocean.

Monitor Devices Inc./Intercircuits Inc.
Wall
June 1986

From 1977 to 1981, Monitor Devices/Intercircuits Inc. manufactured printed circuit boards at the 2-acre site. The process generated wastewater containing heavy metals such as copper and lead, as well as solvents and corrosive acids. Operators dumped wastewater either into a small, unlined pond, or directly on the ground at the rear of the buildings. Drums and plastic containers were improperly stored outdoors.

Imperial Oil Co./Champion Chemicals
Marlboro
September 1983

From 1969 to 2007, Imperial Oil Company, Inc. operated an oil blending facility on site. Prior to this, other companies operated at the site, including a chemical processing plant that produced arsenical pesticides, followed by a manufacturer of flavors and essences. These operations resulted in the contamination of soils and groundwater with hazardous chemicals.

Naval Weapons Station Earle (Site A)
Colts Neck
August 1990

Since the early 1940s, the U.S. Navy has renovated, stored and maintained munitions at the station.

All known contaminated sites in Monmouth:

Rolling Knolls Landfill
Chatham Township
September 2003

The nearly 200-acre area was used as an unlined landfill for just over 30 years. The privately-owned landfill, which closed in 1968, received solid waste from various parties and this waste included construction and demolition debris, household refuse and scrap metal. Landfill operations contaminated soil, sediment, surface water and groundwater with metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides, freon compounds and volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Sharkey Landfill
Parsippany-Troy Hills
September 1983

In addition to accepting municipal solid waste from several counties in northern New Jersey, the landfill allegedly received hazardous and toxic materials between 1962 and 1969 from Ciba-Geigy Company. From April 13, 1972 to May 10, 1972, about 25,700 tons of non-chemical wastes and 1,160 tons of liquid and chemical wastes, described as cesspool-type, were deposited at the landfill.

Dayco Corp./L.E. Carpenter Co.
Wharton
July 1987

A former vinyl wall covering manufacturing facility operated at the 14.5-acre site, generating various solid and liquid wastes that were disposed of in unlined, on-site lagoons, located approximately 20 feet from the Rockaway River. As a result of these disposal practices, site groundwater is contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

Combe Fill South Landfill
Chester Township and Washington
September 1983

Procedures at the landfill during its operation violated many of the New Jersey solid waste administrative codes, leading to groundwater contamination with volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Picatinny Arsenal
Rockaway Township
February 1990

Beginning in the mid-1800s, Picatinny manufactured artillery, ammunition, explosives, and other weapons. These past industrial activities and waste disposal practices contaminated surface water, groundwater, soil, sediment, and game fish with hazardous chemicals including heavy metals, organic compounds, and munitions constituents.

Radiation Technology Inc
Rockaway Township
September 1984

RTI improperly stored and disposed of waste drums containing solvents and other organic chemicals on site, contaminating soil, sediment and groundwater with hazardous chemicals.

Rockaway Borough Well Field
Rockaway Township
September 1983

Groundwater is contaminated primarily with tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE). The suspected sources of the contamination included industrial operations in Rockaway Borough, including the Klockner and Klockner (K&K) facility, and a dry cleaning operation (Lusardi's Cleaners, Inc.).

Rockaway Township Wells
Rockaway Township
September 1983

In 1979 and 1980, the wells were found to contain a variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Two gasoline service stations, freight and transit facilities, and industrial properties are located near the well field.

Dover Municipal Well 4
Dover
September 1983

Dover Municipal Well No. 4 (DMW-4) began pumping in June 1965, and was one of the town's primary water supply wells. Sampling in March 1980 found chlorinated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the groundwater.

All known contaminated sites in Morris:

Brick Township Landfill
September 1983

he site is comprised of a municipal landfill that ceased operations in 1979 and the associated groundwater contamination. By the 1990s an underground plume of contaminated water was found to be emanating from the landfill over an area of about 470 acres.

Reich Farms
Dover
September 1983

In 1972, Union Carbine, a potentially responsible party (PRP), removed drums, trench waste and contaminated soil. Contaminated soil also contaminated the groundwater with organic compounds above state and federal standards.

Naval Air Engineering Center
Lakehurst
July 1987

The Navy identified 44 potentially contaminated areas at the site. The areas included landfills, open pits, unlined lagoons and drainage ditches.

Ciba-Geigy Corp.
Toms River
September 1983

A facility that manufactured dyes, pigments, resins and epoxy operated there from 1952 to 1990. Sludge and processed waste were disposed of on-site, contaminating soil and groundwater.

Goose Farm
Plumstead
September 1982

A manufacturer of polysulfide rubber and solid rocket fuel propellant disposed of solid and liquid hazardous wastes at the 6.6-acre area from the mid-1940s to the mid-1970s. The majority of wastes were dumped into a pit dug through fine sand. Waste chemicals from laboratories, drums and bulk liquids were dumped into the pit, contaminating soil and groundwater with hazardous chemicals.

All known contaminated sites in Ocean:

Ringwood Mines/Landfill
Ringwood
September 1983

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the 500-acre area was used for the disposal of paint sludge and other wastes generated at the Ford Motor Company's Mahwah facility.

All known contaminated sites in Passaic:

NL Industries
Oldmans
September 1983

The plastic and rubber waste materials resulting from the battery-crushing operation were placed in an on-site landfill. The landfill also contains slag and contaminated soils. Facility operations contaminated soil surface water, groundwater and sediments with hazardous chemicals.

All known contaminated sites in Salem:

Brook Industrial Park
Bound Brook
September 1989

Industrial, chemical, and pesticide production and storage began in 1971. Operations from various tenants were cited for poor housekeeping and waste disposal practices. As a result, it is believed that contamination migrated into building basement materials, surrounding site soils and the site groundwater.

American Cyanamid Co.
Bridgewater
September 1983

Prior owners used the 575-acre site for numerous chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing operations for more than 90 years, resulting in the contamination of waste disposal areas (referred to as impoundments), soil and groundwater with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi-VOCs, and metals.

Rocky Hill Municipal Well
September 1983

In 1978, the first well was sealed and abandoned because it was contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), in particular trichloroethylene (TCE). The second well continued to operate until 1979, when it was also closed due to high levels of TCE. The well reopened for a short time when TCE levels declined, only to be closed again in 1982

Montgomery Township Housing Development
September 1983

In 1978, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in the public well of the neighboring municipality of Rocky Hill.

Higgins Disposal
Franklin
August 1990

From the 1950s to 1985, the site owner, Higgins Disposal Services (HDS), operated a waste disposal business including an unpermitted landfill, a waste transfer station and a compactor.

Higgins Farm
Franklin
March 1989

A cattle farm operates on the 75-acre area. Two holding tanks containing contaminated water and a barn housing excavated drums and roll-off containers containing contaminated soils are located on the northern part of the site.

All known contaminated sites in Somerset:

Mansfield Trail Dump
Byram
March 2011

In 2005, the Sussex County Health Department and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) sampled 75 private wells along Brookwood and Ross Roads in Byram Township. Sampling found that 18 of the residential drinking water wells were contaminated by trichloroethylene (TCE).

Metaltec/Aerosystems
Franklin Borough
September 1983

When active, the 15.5-acre area included the Metaltec plant, a process well, a wastewater lagoon, a drum storage area, wastewater-soaked ground and two piles of waste material. Plant operations contaminated soil and groundwater with heavy metals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

A.O. Polymer
Sparta
September 1983

From the early 1960s until 1993, the facility produced resins, plastics, paper coatings, and specialty polymers, and was involved in the reclamation of spent solvents. Poor waste handling practices led to the contamination of soil and groundwater at the site with volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

All known contaminated sites in Sussex:

LCP Chemicals Inc
Linden
July 1998

In 1955, GAF Corporation constructed and began operating a chlor-alkali (chlorine manufacturing) plant on the property. Operations continued through the mid-1980s. Sampling of soil, surface water, sediment and groundwater found elevated levels of mercury and other contaminants.

Chemical Control
Elizabeth
September 1983

From 1970 to 1978, a hazardous waste storage, treatment and disposal facility operated on site. Discharge and waste storage violations led to contamination of river sediments and on-site soils. 

All known contaminated sites in Union:

Pohatcong Valley Ground Water Contamination
Washington Borough, Washington Township, Franklin Township and Greenwich
March 1989

The Site involves primarily trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE) contamination of the Kittatinny Limestone Aquifer underlying the Pohatcong Valley. The aquifer serves as the sole source of drinking water for public water systems and private parties in the area.

All known contaminated sites in Warren:

Costly cleanup

Lopez said Superfund site cleanups can cost millions or sometimes even billions of dollars and take decades to complete.

“It’s a complex process. It’s a function of identifying the nature of contamination, the scope of contamination, identifying who the contributors may be, the responsible parties.”

But not everybody thinks they’re doing a good job.

Doug O’Malley, the director of the nonprofit advocacy group Environment New Jersey, said the Superfund program isn’t so super anymore.

“It’s a story of initial success and then decades of a lack of true progress," he said.

He noted since 1995, the polluting industries that created the pollution problems in the first place are no longer required to pay a tax to help clean them.

“What we’re left with in New Jersey is a legacy of toxic sites that have cleanup plans that aren’t adequately funded.”

O’Malley believes the EPA could be creating more aggressive cleanup plans “but too often decisions are being made based on the lack of funding, so even the plans that we do have, we’re being nickel and dimed.”

He said another problem is Jersey has many additional polluted areas that aren’t on the Superfund list.

“If we had a Superfund program that was adequately funded we’d be able to take on more sites and to clean them up," he said. “At the end of the day, if we’re just capping a polluted site instead of removing all of the contaminated soil, that’s not a true cleanup.”

Lopez said when efforts begin to clean up a Superfund site, “the process itself is not easy."

"It takes years to basically frame the discussion and as we work through the process, our end goal is to arrest the contamination, find ways where we can to return it to productive public use," he said

John Prince, the EPA’s director of Superfund Operations in Region 2, which includes New Jersey, said almost 70 percent of all cleanups are "undertaken by private parties that we’ve identified as responsible parties, so a majority of cleanup are done by the polluters."

He pointed out for the orphan sites (where a responsible party can’t be identified or where a company no longer exists), 90 percent of the remediation cost is paid for with federal dollars and the remaining 10 percent comes from the state where the Superfund site is located.

Larry Hajna, a spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, said in addition to the state’s Superfund sites, there are numerous other locations with less serious pollution problems.

He said the pollution problems at locations on this list range from major to minor.

“Some are more complex sites that are not quite to the level of a Superfund site but require remediation of groundwater or multiple sites where there’s been contamination of soil, while others range down to much smaller sites such as dry cleaners and gas stations and even underground storage tanks that homeowners have.”

Hajna said the goal of the DEP is safety.

“Whether it’s capping or removing contaminated soil, it’s about making sure there is no potential for exposure in the future.”

You can contact reporter David Matthau at David.Matthau@townsquaremedia.com