Another Toxic 'Superfund' Site Identified in Newark

An industrial facility located near the Passaic River in the North Ward has been added to the nation’s list of highly contaminated “Superfund” sites by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the EPA announced this week.

Riverside Industrial Park, at 29 Riverside Ave., is the ninth site in Newark to be added to the EPA’s “National Priorities List,” a tally that includes the infamous Diamond Alakali site in the Ironbound, where the Vietnam War-era defoliant Agent Orange was manufactured.

The designation means the EPA will investigate ways to clean up the site, which has been in use by various companies for more than a century.  The agency will attempt to locate the polluters and compel them to remediate the seven-acre property, which contains a mix of vacant and occupied buildings. 

Riverside Park drew the attention of the EPA after an incident in 2009 where oily material from the site spilled into the Passaic River. Subsequent investigation revealed the presence of dangerous chemicals including benzene, chromium and arsenic and the groundwater was also contaminated, the EPA said. Tens of thousands of gallons of hazardous waste improperly stored in tanks and drums were discovered, most of which has been removed, the agency also said.

“The EPA has kept people out of immediate danger from this contaminated industrial park and can now develop long-term plans to protect the community,” said EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. “By adding the site to the Superfund list, the EPA can do the extensive investigation needed to determine the best ways to clean up the contamination and protect public health.”