Global Sanitary Landfill

Overview

Global Sanitary Landfill operated as a solid waste landfill in Old Bridge Township, New Jersey, from about 1968 to 1984. Drums containing paint, paint thinner, and solvents buried there leaked chemicals into groundwater through landfill leachate. A slope failure in April 1984 exposed buried waste and contaminated nearby wetlands with sediment high in ammonia and other pollutants. The site was added to the National Priorities List in 1989 and is divided into two operable units: one covering the landfill cap and one covering groundwater, soil, sediments, and wetlands.

EPA has identified over 100 contaminants at the site. These include heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, chromium, arsenic, and mercury. Volatile organic compounds include benzene, toluene, trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, and vinyl chloride. Pesticides such as aldrin, dieldrin, and heptachlor are present, along with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), phthalates, chlorinated solvents, and aromatic hydrocarbons. Contaminants appear in groundwater, soil, sediments, wetlands, solid waste, and leachate.

EPA and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection selected a cleanup plan in a 1991 Record of Decision. It called for capping the landfill, managing stormwater and landfill gas, and monitoring groundwater and wetlands. A lighter cap design was adopted in 2006 to reduce the risk of future slope failures. Potentially responsible parties completed major cap construction in 2012 and finished wetlands restoration in 2011. Full construction across the site was completed in January 2014. The cap is inspected monthly, and groundwater is sampled twice yearly from 16 monitoring wells. Five-year reviews in 2015, 2020, and most recently February 2025 have confirmed that the cleanup continues to protect public health and the environment. Human exposure and groundwater migration are both under control. The site achieved ready-for-anticipated-reuse status in May 2019 but remains on the National Priorities List.

In 2023, a 2.8-megawatt solar power facility was built on top of the capped landfill. Developed by AC Power LLC and operated by NJR Clean Energy Ventures, it provides reduced-cost electricity to about 400 homes, with 51 percent of power going to low- and moderate-income residents. The project is expected to generate more than $1.2 million in revenue for Old Bridge Township over 30 years. AC Power also partnered with Solar One to offer renewable energy education programs, including a high school internship and a college certification program at County College of Morris.

Community members with questions can contact the Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager. Site records are available at the EPA Records Center at 290 Broadway in New York or at the Town Clerk's Office in Old Bridge, New Jersey.