Rolling Knolls Landfill covers nearly 200 acres in Chatham Township, New Jersey. It operated as a municipal landfill from the early 1930s to 1968, accepting household garbage, construction and demolition debris, industrial waste, septic waste, and scrap metal. EPA added it to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in September 2003. The site borders residential properties to the north and northwest, and the 7,800-acre Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge surrounds it on the south, east, and west.
Contamination has been found in soil, groundwater, surface water, sediment, and air. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are the primary human health concern. A 2018 baseline human health risk assessment found no elevated cancer risks from living or recreating near the site, and non-cancer health hazards are only slightly elevated. There is a low potential for birds and small mammals to accumulate metals or PCBs by eating organisms from contaminated areas. Human exposure is reported as under control, but groundwater migration status remains uncertain due to insufficient data. Potentially responsible parties have also conducted a preliminary investigation for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in groundwater.
In 2005, EPA entered a legal agreement with potentially responsible parties to conduct a remedial investigation and feasibility study under EPA oversight. EPA approved both the remedial investigation report and an ecological risk assessment in 2018. A feasibility study to identify cleanup options is currently underway. The combined remedial investigation and feasibility study is estimated to conclude between September and November 2027. Remedy selection and a Record of Decision for the soil operable unit are targeted for that same timeframe, with remedial design anticipated to begin in late 2028. No remedial action has started yet, and no decision documents have been issued for the soil and groundwater operable units.
Community members can get involved through the Rolling Knolls Community Advisory Group (CAG), which includes local residents, environmental groups, businesses, and municipalities. The CAG meets roughly once a month, and EPA and partner agencies attend to share updates. Meetings have been held regularly since the group's kickoff in September 2018. Anyone interested in joining can contact EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator. Documents related to the site are available at the EPA Superfund Records Center at 290 Broadway, 18th floor, in New York, and at the Library of the Chathams at 214 Main Street in Chatham, New Jersey.
