The Caldwell Trucking Co. site sits in Fairfield Township, New Jersey, and has been on the National Priorities List since September 8, 1983. The contamination started when the company disposed of residential, commercial, and industrial septic waste in unlined lagoons from the early 1950s until 1973, and later in underground storage tanks. Groundwater contamination flows north toward the Passaic River and affects a populated area with about 500 single-family homes within one mile.
EPA has identified over 50 contaminants of concern at the site. In the source area, chlorinated solvents including trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, and carbon tetrachloride are present in soil and groundwater. Heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and mercury are found in soil. Polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides like DDT, and aromatic compounds including naphthalene and fluoranthene also contaminate soil. Trichloroethene has been detected in the groundwater plume and in nearby surface water.
The site is organized into two operable units: one addressing the source area and one addressing the groundwater plume. All on-site soil contamination has been cleaned up through excavation and treatment. The responsible party, Caldwell Trucking Site Trust, installed a pump-and-treat facility in 2008 and upgraded seep area treatment systems to capture contaminated groundwater before it reaches nearby waterways. A biological remediation pilot study is ongoing in the source area. Since 1981, more than 300 contaminated private wells have been taken out of service and those homes connected to municipal water. Seventeen residential and commercial properties currently have vapor intrusion mitigation systems installed and under monitoring.
Current human exposure is under control, but high levels of groundwater contamination remain and cleanup is not yet complete sitewide. Construction is still ongoing. The most recent five-year review was completed in June 2022, and the next is estimated between June and August 2027. A feasibility study for the plume unit is estimated to begin between August and October 2027. Institutional controls restrict groundwater use and limit residential development on contaminated properties.
Community members can get involved through EPA's Community Involvement Program, which aims to include the public throughout the cleanup process. Questions about the site can go to the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager. Site records are available at the Fairfield Town Hall Building Engineering Department at 230 Fairfield Road, Fairfield, NJ, and at the EPA Administrative Record File Room at 290 Broadway, 18th floor, New York, NY, by appointment at (212) 637-4308.
