Lone Pine Landfill

Overview

Lone Pine Landfill sits on 45 acres in Freehold Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey. It operated from 1959 to 1979 and accepted over 17,000 drums of chemical wastes, millions of gallons of bulk liquid chemical wastes, municipal refuse, and septage. The EPA placed it on the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in September 1983. The site is divided into three operable units covering on-site areas, off-site areas, and sitewide oversight.

More than 100 chemical substances have been identified as contaminants of concern. They were found in groundwater, soil, and solid waste both on and off the landfill property. These include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as trichloroethene, benzene, toluene, and chloroform. Heavy metals at the site include arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and nickel. Pesticides including aldrin, heptachlor, and DDT are also present, along with phthalates and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Trichloroethene, for example, appears in on-site and off-site groundwater, soil, and solid waste. Chlorobenzene contamination extends to off-site areas as well.

The on-site cleanup remedy, selected in 1984 and built between July 1991 and December 1993, includes a 57-acre multi-layer cap, a 5,965-foot slurry wall around the landfill perimeter, and systems to collect and treat leachate and methane gas. A separate off-site groundwater remedy was completed in June 1994. It features a 2,800-foot interceptor drain to keep contaminated groundwater from reaching the Manasquan River, along with extraction wells and on-site treatment using air stripping, precipitation, filtration, and carbon adsorption. Treated water is reinjected into the contaminated aquifer. On-site remedial work ran from 1988 to 1994, and off-site work ran from 1993 to 1994.

The site is now in the operation and maintenance phase. Human exposure to contamination is under control, with no unacceptable exposure pathways identified. Contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized, and there is no unacceptable discharge to surface water. The site achieved sitewide ready for anticipated reuse status in 2013. The EPA completed a sixth five-year review in May 2024 to confirm that cleanup actions continue to protect human health and the environment. Prior reviews found both remedies functioning as designed. The site has not yet been deleted from the NPL.

Community members can review site documents at the EPA Superfund Records Center at 290 Broadway, 18th floor, New York, NY, or at the Monmouth County Public Library in Manalapan, NJ. The EPA's Superfund Redevelopment Program is also working with the community to support future reuse of the property. For questions, residents can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager.