Reich Farms sits on a 3-acre property in Pleasant Plains, New Jersey. In the early 1970s, a waste hauler and a separate contractor dumped thousands of drums of organic solvents and chemical residues there, contaminating soil and groundwater with petrochemical compounds. The site was added to the National Priorities List (NPL) in September 1983. The NPL is EPA's list of the most serious hazardous waste sites in the country. The site was divided into operable units to organize cleanup work, with Operable Unit 1 covering the entire property and Operable Unit 2 focused on groundwater.
EPA identified 22 contaminants of concern at the site. These include chlorinated solvents such as 1,1,1-trichloroethane, trichloroethene, and tetrachloroethene in both soil and groundwater. Volatile organic compounds including toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, styrene, and acetone are also present. Additional contaminants include chlorobenzene, phthalates, cyano-naphthalene compounds, and other chlorinated compounds in groundwater. Nearby private drinking water wells were shut down by August 1974, and affected residents were connected to a permanent alternate water supply.
Union Carbide Corporation was identified as the potentially responsible party and led much of the physical cleanup. The company removed over 5,000 drums and contaminated soil starting in 1972. EPA then oversaw a longer cleanup effort that included installing groundwater extraction wells, treating contaminated groundwater through air stripping and carbon adsorption, and excavating and treating soil. Union Carbide completed soil remediation in May 1995 and met all groundwater cleanup requirements by January 2018, at which point the treatment system stopped operating.
EPA deleted Reich Farms from the NPL in September 2021, confirming that cleanup objectives had been met and that the actions taken protect public health and the environment. Human exposure at the site is currently under control, with no unacceptable exposure pathways identified. Contaminated groundwater is no longer spreading, and there is no unacceptable discharge to surface water. Groundwater monitoring continues through at least 2023. As of December 2024, the site hosts 2 businesses employing 31 people and generating about $2.76 million in annual sales revenue.
Community members who want to learn more or stay involved can contact EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager directly. Site documents are available in person at EPA's Superfund Records Center at 290 Broadway, 18th floor, in New York City, and at the Ocean County Library at 101 Washington Street in Toms River, New Jersey. EPA also conducted a five-year review in March 2023, and a Fifth Five-Year Review Report is available for those seeking more detail about the site's remediation history.
