From the 1950s to 1985, Higgins Disposal Services ran an unpermitted landfill, waste transfer station, and compactor on a 37.6-acre property in Franklin Township, New Jersey. State regulators discovered the illegal operations in 1982 and ordered the company to stop. By 1987, nearby residents on Laurel Avenue reported medicinal-tasting tap water, and testing confirmed volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in their wells. EPA placed the site on the Superfund National Priorities List in August 1990.
EPA has identified 47 contaminants of concern at the site, all found in groundwater. These include chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, and carbon tetrachloride, pesticides including aldrin, dieldrin, and DDT compounds, heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, and mercury, as well as benzene, toluene, xylene, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
Cleanup happened in two main stages. Between 1990 and 1999, EPA and a responsible party removed over 7,000 containers and roughly 46,000 tons of contaminated soil and waste. In 1999, the responsible party extended public water supply connections to homes along Laurel Avenue and the Higgins residence. A groundwater recovery and treatment system became fully operational in February 2006. The treatment process uses coagulation, flocculation, filtration, and carbon adsorption, with treated water reinjected into the aquifer. The responsible party continues monthly system monitoring and semi-annual groundwater sampling. Five-year reviews completed in 2011, 2016, and 2020 all found the cleanup protective of human health and the environment. The next five-year review is due by November 2025. A feasibility study and a potential amendment to the cleanup decision are estimated for 2028.
The site is currently considered ready for anticipated reuse, a status it reached in April 2017. The property hosts a residence, a horse riding facility called Hasty Acres Riding Club, and a truck repair shop. A preservation easement issued in 2008 supports agricultural use of the land. The site has not yet been deleted from the National Priorities List.
Community members can review site records at the Franklin Township Public Library at 485 De Mott Lane, Franklin Township, NJ 08873, or by calling 732-873-8700. Records are also available at the U.S. EPA Records Center, Region 2, at 290 Broadway, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10007. The EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator and Remedial Project Manager are available for questions.
