NJ Company Must Clean Up Contaminated Newark Site, State Prosecutors Say

NEWARK, NJ — New Jersey state officials have filed several new environmental enforcement actions, including a lawsuit involving the site of a vacant gas station in Newark.

Earlier this month, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin and Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner (NJDEP) Shawn LaTourette announced five new environmental enforcement actions in communities that are considered “overburdened” under the state’s Environmental Justice Law.

One of the lawsuits involves 556-564 Springfield Avenue in Newark, which is owned by Irvington-based Maybach Assets LLC.

The property is currently vacant with no standing structures. It is bordered by commercial properties and single-family homes.

Previous discharges of gasoline at the property have been linked to underground storage tanks, the state complaint says:

"On April 25, 2006, the department was notified of a discharge of gasoline, which contains hazardous substances, at the property. The discharge was observed during removal activities for two 6,000-gallon unleaded gasoline underground storage tanks (USTs) and one 6,000-gallon medium diesel fuel UST. Upon information and belief, the discharge of gasoline came from the USTs … On September 13, 2007, the department was notified of an additional discharge of gasoline at the property. This additional discharge was discovered during a site investigation for the potential installation of new USTs at the property."

According to state officials, Maybach Assets entered into a pre-purchase administrative consent order before it bought the property in 2023. As part of the consent order, the company agreed to remediate contaminated soil and groundwater at the site.

However, state officials allege that the company has “failed to do so.”

“Shortly after receiving title to the property, Maybach stopped responding to NJDEP and the agreed-upon deadlines for remediation were missed,” state prosecutors said.

The lawsuit seeks to force Maybach to comply with the administrative consent order, remediate the hazardous substances that discharged at the property, and pay overdue fees and civil penalties, prosecutors said.

Read the full complaint here.

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