Renora, Inc.

Overview

Renora, Inc. was a one-acre waste transfer and storage facility in Edison Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey. It operated from 1978 to 1982, then was abandoned after regulatory violations and poor maintenance. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection found spills as early as 1978 and ordered the company to clean up in 1980, but no action was taken. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in September 1983.

The site contained 56 contaminants of concern spread across soil, groundwater, surface water, and sediment. Key pollutants included metals such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and zinc. Volatile organic compounds like benzene, trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, and toluene were also present. Additional contaminants included polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and pesticides such as DDT compounds and lindane. Most contamination was found in soil, though the metals were detected in multiple media including groundwater and surface water.

Cleanup moved through two main phases. From October 1984 to April 1985, potentially responsible parties removed drums, tankers, truck trailers, and visibly contaminated soils under EPA oversight. EPA selected a long-term remedy in September 1987 calling for PCB-contaminated soil removal and bioremediation of PAH-contaminated soils. When bioremediation proved ineffective, EPA amended the remedy in September 1994 and switched to full excavation. Contaminated soils were dug out, the area was backfilled with clean soil, and replanting was complete by spring 1996. Groundwater was found not to pose a risk to human health. EPA deleted the site from the National Priorities List in March 2000.

Today, human exposure and groundwater migration are both under control. Institutional controls remain in place, including a Declaration of Environmental Restrictions that prohibits digging subsurface soils deeper than five feet and zoning rules that prevent residential development. The site reached "sitewide ready for anticipated use" status in June 2006. As of December 2024, five businesses were operating there, employing six people and generating roughly $647,030 in annual sales.

Community members with questions can contact EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator. Site records are available in person at EPA's Superfund Records Center at 290 Broadway, 18th floor in New York City, and at the Edison Township Public Library Main Branch at 340 Plainfield Avenue in Edison, New Jersey.