Denzer & Schafer X-Ray Co.

Overview

The Denzer & Schafer X-Ray Company site sits on about 5 acres in Bayville, Berkeley Township, New Jersey. The facility processed microfilm and recovered silver from microfilm and X-ray negatives from the 1970s until 1991. Poor disposal practices, including discharging stripping solutions into septic systems and incinerating film waste, contaminated groundwater with heavy metals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Lead contamination reached the Cohansey Aquifer, which supplies drinking water to roughly 25,500 area residents.

EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in September 1983. A remedial investigation ran from 1987 to 1993 and found that low levels of groundwater contamination no longer posed a significant risk. Lead contamination remained limited to a small area near the old septic system and was not spreading. In September 1995, EPA issued a Record of Decision selecting groundwater and surface water monitoring with no active cleanup needed. A removal action from April to September 1996 took out 7,000 gallons of caustic stripping solution, 36 drums of hazardous substances, and an underground storage tank. In January 1998, New Jersey set up a Classification Exception Area (CEA) requiring new drinking water wells to be screened below 90 feet to avoid contaminated groundwater. EPA deleted the site from the NPL in December 1998.

Human exposure across the entire site is under control. There are no unacceptable exposure pathways, and contaminated groundwater is stable with no unacceptable discharge to surface water expected. Groundwater sampling through 2019 continues to show declining lead levels in shallow groundwater. The site has achieved Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use status, meaning all cleanup goals for current and reasonably anticipated future land uses have been met and all required controls are in place. EPA completed its sixth five-year review on April 8, 2026, confirming the remedy remains protective of human health and the environment.

After a local developer demolished the buildings in the mid-1990s, the property was later acquired by Berkeley Township, which used it to store road construction materials. The property has since been sold and is scheduled for redevelopment.

Community members who want to learn more or review site records can visit the Berkeley Township Library or the Berkeley Township Municipal Building, both in Bayville. Records are also available at the EPA Region 2 Superfund Records Center at 290 Broadway, 18th Floor, New York City, or by calling (212) 637-4308.