Some of the most polluted and toxic sites in NJ now have new life

The United States Environmental Protection Agency makes distinctions between redeveloping lands that have been designated as Superfund areas, and other contaminated sites such as brownfields.

For the former, there are nearly 60 sites in New Jersey that have cleared a certain level of remediation to be declared safe for reuse, and these are now home to everything from continued industrial operations to wildlife habitats.

The EPA maintains a historical overview of each of these sites, but also updates their current condition and use, which are the qualifiers New Jersey 101.5 has compiled here.

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American Cyanamid Co.

• Where: Bridgewater
• What's there now?: TD Bank Ballpark (home of the Somerset Patriots), NJ Transit Bridgewater station, Van Horne House, commercial space
• Superfund Profile Page

Asbestos Dump

• Where: Millington (Long Hill)
• What's there now?: Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, commercial space
• Superfund Profile Page

Bog Creek Farm

• Where: Howell
• What's there now?: Athletic fields
• Superfund Profile Page

Brick Township Landfill

• Where: Brick Township
• What's there now?: Solar panel array
• Superfund Profile Page

Burnt Fly Bog

• Where: Marlboro / Old Bridge
• What's there now?: Restored wetlands
• Superfund Profile Page

Chemical Insecticide Corp.

• Where: Edison
• What's there now?: Metuchen-Edison Community Dog Park
• Superfund Profile Page

Chemical Leaman Tank Lines Inc.

• Where: Bridgeport (Logan Township)
• What's there now?: Restored wetlands
• Superfund Profile Page

Chemsol Inc.

• Where: Piscataway
• What's there now?: Restored wetlands, residential space
• Superfund Profile Page

Ciba-Geigy Corp.

• Where: Toms River
• What's there now?: Owned by BASF, used for environmental science education, wildlife refuge, solar panel array
• Superfund Profile Page

Cinnaminson Township (Block 702) Ground Water Contamination

• Where: Cinnaminson / Delran
• What's there now?: Commercial, industrial, and residential space; PSE&G solar array
• Superfund Profile Page

Cooper Road

• Where: Voorhees
• What's there now?: Residential development
• Superfund Profile Page

Curcio Scrap Metal Inc.

• Where: Saddle Brook
• What's there now?: Continued scrap metal recycling operations
• Superfund Profile Page

Curtis Specialty Papers Inc.

• Where: Alexandria / Milford
• What's there now?: Wildlife habitat
• Superfund Profile Page

De Rewal Chemical Co.

• Where: Kingwood
• What's there now?: Recreational space, bird habitat, bike path; American Indian artifacts discovered during cleanup
• Superfund Profile Page

Delilah Road

• Where: Egg Harbor Township
• What's there now?: Solar panel array
• Superfund Profile Page

Diamond Alkali Co.

• Where: Newark
• What's there now?: Still under development; Newark Riverfront Park opened nearby
• Superfund Profile Page

Fair Lawn Well Field

• Where: Fair Lawn
• What's there now?: Commercial, industrial, and residential space
• Superfund Profile Page

Federal Creosote

• Where: Manville
• What's there now?: Residential space, with some residents relocated and old homes demolished
• Superfund Profile Page

Former Kil-Tone Company

• Where: Vineland
• What's there now?: Commercial and residential space
• Superfund Profile Page

Garden State Cleaners Co.

• Where: Buena
• What's there now?: Vacant and available for redevelopment, zoned for commercial use
• Superfund Profile Page

Garfield Ground Water Contamination

• Where: Garfield
• What's there now?: Commercial and residential space
• Superfund Profile Page

Glen Ridge Radium Site

• Where: Bloomfield / East Orange / Glen Ridge
• What's there now?: Commercial and residential space
• Superfund Profile Page

Grand Street Mercury

• Where: Hoboken
• What's there now?: Residential space
• Superfund Profile Page

Higgins Disposal

• Where: Franklin Township (Somerset County)
• What's there now?: Hasty Acres equestrian school, truck repair shop, residence
• Superfund Profile Page

Higgins Farm

• Where: Franklin Township (Somerset County)
• What's there now?: Cattle farm
• Superfund Profile Page

Iceland Coin Laundry Area GW Plume

• Where: Vineland
• What's there now?: Commercial and residential space
• Superfund Profile Page

Imperial Oil Co., Inc./Champion Chemicals

• Where: Morganville (Marlboro)
• What's there now?: Protected wetlands, box turtle habitat, available commercial and residential space
• Superfund Profile Page

Industrial Latex Corp.

• Where: Wallington
• What's there now?: Wallington Department of Public Works storage
• Superfund Profile Page

Jackson Township Landfill

• Where: Jackson
• What's there now?: Flying field for the Ocean County Modelers Club
• Superfund Profile Page

Johnson & Towers

• Where: Mount Laurel
• What's there now?: Engine repair shop, office space
• Superfund Profile Page

Landfill & Development Co.

• Where: Mount Holly
• What's there now?: PSE&G solar farm
• Superfund Profile Page

LCP Chemicals Inc.

• Where: Linden
• What's there now?: Cleanup continues, including demolishing buildings and restoring wetlands
• Superfund Profile Page

Lightman Drum Company

• Where: Winslow
• What's there now?: United Cooperage storage site
• Superfund Profile Page

Lipari Landfill

• Where: Pitman
• What's there now?: Part of Alcyon Lake Park
• Superfund Profile Page

Matteo & Sons Inc.

• Where: Thorofare (West Deptford)
• What's there now?: Metals recycling facility
• Superfund Profile Page

Maywood Chemical Co.

• Where: Lodi / Maywood / Rochelle Park
• What's there now?: Stepan Company chemical manufacturing, three parks, fire station, commercial and residential space
• Superfund Profile Page

Monitor Devices Inc./Intercircuits Inc.

• Where: Wall
• Superfund Profile Page

Montclair/West Orange Radium Site

• Where: Montclair / West Orange
• What's there now?: Remediated residential space
• Superfund Profile Page

Montgomery Township Housing Development

• Where: Montgomery
• What's there now?: Montgomery Township Shopping Center, residential space
• Superfund Profile Page

Myers Property

• Where: Franklin Township (Hunterdon County)
• What's there now?: Recreational trail
• Superfund Profile Page

NL Industries

• Where: Pedricktown (Oldmans Township)
• What's there now?: Industrial equipment surplus storage
• Superfund Profile Page

Pepe Field

• Where: Boonton Town
• What's there now?: Reopened recreational facility including a Little League field, walking path, playground, basketball court, gazebo, and concession stand
• Superfund Profile Page

Pijak Farm

• Where: Plumsted
• What's there now?: Continued farm use, with residential space
• Superfund Profile Page

PJP Landfill

• Where: Jersey City
• What's there now?: Portions of site owned by Prologis and the city of Jersey City
• Superfund Profile Page

Pohatcong Valley Ground Water Contamination

• Where: Warren County
• What's there now?: Agricultural, commercial, industrial, and residential space

Price Landfill

• Where: Egg Harbor Township / Pleasantville
• What's there now?: Atlantic City Electric solar panel array
• Superfund Profile Page

Radiation Technology Inc.

• Where: Rockaway Township
• What's there now?: Sterigenics International radiation sterilization facility
• Superfund Profile Page

Raritan Bay Slag

• Where: Old Bridge / Sayreville
• What's there now?: Recreational/ecological use
• Superfund Profile Page

Ringwood Mines/Landfill

• Where: Ringwood
• What's there now?: Ringwood Borough garage, state park, commercial and residential space, future municipal recycling center

Riverside Industrial Park

• Where: Newark
• What's there now?: Commercial and industrial space, site partially owned by city of Newark
• Superfund Profile Page

Roebling Steel Co.

• Where: Florence
• What's there now?: NJ Transit light rail station, Roebling Museum, riverfront park
• Superfund Profile Page

Rolling Knolls LF

• Where: Green Village (Morris County)
• What's there now?: 35 acres are part of Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
• Superfund Profile Page

South Brunswick Landfill

• Where: South Brunswick
• What's there now?: Solar panel array
• Superfund Profile Page

Spence Farm

• Where: Plumsted
• What's there now?: Continued agricultural use
• Superfund Profile Page

Standard Chlorine

• Where: Kearny
• What's there now?: Purchased in 2020 for commercial/industrial reuse
• Superfund Profile Page

Universal Oil Products (Chemical Division)

• Where: East Rutherford
• What's there now?: retail space, NJ Transit Pascack Valley line, public services storage
• Superfund Profile Page

Ventron/Velsicol

• Where: Carlstadt / Wood-Ridge
• What's there now?: Ecological use, warehouse space
• Superfund Profile Page

Vineland Chemical Co., Inc.

• Where: Vineland
• What's there now?: Atlantic White Cedar wetlands
• Superfund Profile Page

Welsbach & General Gas Mantle (Camden Radiation)

• Where: Camden / Gloucester City
• What's there now?: Waterfront South Theatre, sports complexes, Gloucester Marine Terminal, Gloucester City Middle School
• Superfund Profile Page

Patrick Lavery is a reporter and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at patrick.lavery@townsquaremedia.com

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