NEW YORK (February 20, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has deleted a portion of the Universal Oil Products (UOP) Superfund site in East Rutherford, New Jersey, from the National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund sites. The partial deletion covers a 17-acre portion of the site, known as Area 2, where EPA has cleaned up the soil and groundwater to protect people’s health and the environment.
“EPA has successfully removed the threat of hazardous chemicals from the soil and groundwater in this portion of the site, which was once a chemical manufacturing plant,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “This is a great example of how our Superfund program can transform contaminated land into a valuable resource for the community. The area is now home to a shopping center that provides jobs and services to the residents of East Rutherford.”
The Universal Oil Products Superfund site is located near the intersection of Route 17 and Paterson Plank Road in East Rutherford and consists of approximately 75 acres of marshes, tidal waterways, highways and commercial properties. Previous operations by several companies at the site contaminated the groundwater, soil and sediment with lead, PCBs, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and VOCs.
EPA and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) have overseen several cleanup actions at the site since its addition to the NPL in 1983. These actions included excavation and off-site disposal of contaminated soil, installation of a soil cover and cap, collection and treatment of contaminated groundwater, and implementation of institutional controls as a way to limit access to contamination. EPA achieved the cleanup goals for the soil and groundwater in Area 2, successfully preparing for the safe redevelopment of the area into a shopping center that includes a home improvement store and a restaurant.
EPA proposed the partial deletion of Area 2 from the NPL on August 16, 2023, and opened a public comment period that ended on September 15, 2023. EPA received no comments on the proposed partial deletion.
The NPL includes some of the nation’s most serious uncontrolled or abandoned releases of contamination. EPA deletes sites or parts of sites from the NPL when no further cleanup is required to protect human health or the environment. EPA will continue to conduct follow-up reviews every five years—even after NPL deletion—to evaluate the cleanup and ensure it remains protective.
Visit the Universal Oil Products Superfund site profile page for additional background and site documents.
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