Jackson Township Landfill sits in Jackson Township, Ocean County, New Jersey. It accepted municipal waste, sewage sludge, and large volumes of liquid waste from 1972 until a court order closed it in 1980. The landfill took in roughly 8,000 gallons of liquid waste per day, much of it containing volatile organic chemicals such as methylene chloride. By 1977, residents noticed poor water quality, and testing confirmed that the Cohansey Aquifer and 130 domestic wells had been contaminated. The state stopped liquid waste disposal at the site in 1978, and EPA added the landfill to the Superfund National Priorities List in September 1983.
Cleanup began quickly. Affected residents were connected to a public water supply in 1980. In the late 1980s, the landfill was formally closed with a soil cap, surface water detention basins, and perimeter fencing. EPA completed a remedial investigation and feasibility study and issued a Record of Decision in September 1994, selecting no further action with maintenance and monitoring as the remedy. Construction was finished on September 27, 1994, and EPA deleted the site from the National Priorities List on September 13, 1995.
Groundwater monitoring from 2010 through 2014 shows contaminant levels have continued to drop since the early 1980s. No site-related contaminants have been found above maximum contaminant levels in downgradient wells. Landfill gas monitoring detected high methane levels along the southwestern perimeter, but methane has not been found beyond the site boundary. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection continues to oversee groundwater and air monitoring. Human exposure is considered under control, and all cleanup goals for current and anticipated future land uses have been achieved. The site reached Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use status on February 6, 2008.
Today, Jackson Township owns and maintains the property under a Post-Closure Monitoring and Maintenance Plan. A model airplane club uses a small area in the southeastern corner with permission from the township, consistent with the cleanup remedy. Zoning restrictions prevent incompatible uses such as residential development, and nearby residents are served by the public water system. EPA conducted its most recent five-year review on April 22, 2025, to confirm the remedy continues to protect public health and the environment.
Community members with questions can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager. Previous five-year review reports are also available for public reference through EPA's Superfund records system, and the full site record can be reviewed in person at the EPA Superfund Records Center at 290 Broadway, 18th floor, in New York, New York.
