Curcio Scrap Metal, Inc. is a 1-acre scrap metal yard in Saddle Brook Township, Bergen County, New Jersey. It has been on the EPA's National Priorities List since July 22, 1987. The site is divided into two operable units, one for on-site soils and one for groundwater. Physical cleanup construction is complete across the entire site, and it has achieved Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use status, meaning all cleanup goals have been met for current and reasonably anticipated future land uses.
The contamination began in 1982 when the company processed 50 used electrical transformers and spilled oil containing polychlorinated biphenyls, known as PCBs. That spill, along with a nearby hydraulic fluid spill, spread PCBs, heavy metals, and volatile organic compounds into soil and groundwater. Soil contaminants include metals such as arsenic, lead, and mercury, along with benzene, PCBs, and tetrachloroethene. Groundwater contaminants include arsenic, carbon tetrachloride, vinyl chloride, and Aroclor 1248, a specific type of PCB. About 30,000 people rely on public wells within 3 miles of the site.
Cleanup has moved in stages. Workers excavated about 3,400 tons of contaminated soil between March 1993 and September 1994 and sent it to permitted disposal facilities. In 1995, contaminated sediment and surface water were removed from nearby Schroeder's Brook. The EPA selected a groundwater remedy in September 1997 calling for no active treatment, but requiring long-term monitoring. That monitoring began in March 2000 and continues today. Recent sampling shows low levels of trichloroethylene and benzene in groundwater, with some metals still detected above state and federal standards. Groundwater migration is considered stable, with no unacceptable discharge to surface water.
Human exposure to contamination is under control, according to EPA assessments. Institutional controls, including zoning restrictions, prevent incompatible uses such as residential development. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection established a Classification Exception Area in October 2008 to further manage land use. The site remains an active scrap metal business, employing 8 people as of December 2024, with roughly $1,170,000 in annual sales. The EPA completed its most recent five-year review on February 28, 2022, and the next review is estimated between February and April 2027.
Community members can review site records at the EPA Region 2 Records Center at 290 Broadway, 18th floor, in New York City, or at the Saddle Brook Free Public Library at 340 Mayhill Street. For questions, contact the Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager.
