Bridgeport Rental & Oil Services

Overview

The Bridgeport Rental and Oil Services site is a 30-acre former waste oil storage and recovery facility in Logan Township, New Jersey. It operated from 1960 to 1981 and was added to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. The site held a 13-acre lagoon with roughly 2.5 million gallons of oil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), along with tens of millions of gallons of contaminated wastewater and 80,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment and sludge. The lagoon overflowed in the early 1970s, damaging adjacent wetlands. Groundwater was also contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and ten nearby domestic water wells were replaced with public water supply.

EPA identified 41 contaminants of concern across groundwater, soil, sediment, liquid waste, and building structures. These include VOCs such as trichloroethene (TCE), benzene, and vinyl chloride, as well as PCBs, pesticides like aldrin and dieldrin, heavy metals including arsenic and lead, and emerging contaminants 1,4-dioxane and PFOS. Health assessments found unacceptable cancer risks from TCE, vinyl chloride, and bis(2-chloroethyl) ether, and noncarcinogenic risks to construction workers from dermal contact with shallow groundwater. Ecological assessments found potential harm to aquatic organisms and wildlife from PCBs and metals.

EPA began emergency actions in the early 1980s, reinforcing the lagoon dike, pumping down water levels, and providing water filtration to affected homes. Between 1984 and 1996, EPA removed over 172,000 tons of contaminated sediment and treated over 190 million gallons of lagoon water. A wetland vegetation and habitat restoration program was completed in July 2018. Groundwater cleanup continues under a 1996 consent decree, with responsible parties conducting annual sampling. In April 2023, sampling detected 1,4-dioxane and PFOS in residual oil left from the lagoon excavation, and EPA is evaluating options to address that contamination.

Physical construction of cleanup work is not yet complete, and the site remains on the NPL. Human exposure is assessed as under control, but groundwater migration is not yet stabilized. The final remedial design for the Groundwater and Soils unit began in mid-2022, with remedial action estimated to start between September and November 2027. The most recent five-year review was completed in July 2023, with the next scheduled for July through September 2028.

Community members can stay informed and get involved through EPA's Community Involvement Program. To receive updates or ask about involvement opportunities, residents can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinators. Past five-year review reports are available to the public. Site documents can be reviewed at the Logan Township Municipal Building at 125 Main Street in Bridgeport, NJ, or at EPA's regional office at 290 Broadway, 18th Floor, New York, NY.