A mercury processing plant operated on a 40-acre property in Wood Ridge Borough, Bergen County, New Jersey from 1929 to 1974. That operation left behind mercury, methyl mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), chromium, arsenic, benzene, and naphthalene in soil, groundwater, sediment, and surface water. Contamination spread beyond the property into Berry's Creek, a 6.5-mile tributary of the Hackensack River that runs through seven New Jersey boroughs. The site has been on the federal National Priorities List (NPL) since it was designated a Superfund site, and cleanup has been active since remedial investigation began in March 1997.
The site is divided into two main operable units. The first covers groundwater, soils, and wetlands on and near the original property. That work included excavating heavily contaminated soil, capping remaining mercury-contaminated areas, installing a barrier system under one building, and placing deed and groundwater use restrictions on the land. Remedial action for that unit wrapped up in October 2012 and has been in an operation and maintenance phase since then. The second operable unit targets Berry's Creek and its surrounding wetlands. A cleanup plan was selected in September 2018, calling for removal of sediment from waterways and marsh areas, totaling roughly 363,000 cubic yards from waterways and 69,500 cubic yards from the marsh. Excavated material will be dewatered, stabilized, and sent to a permitted disposal facility. Remedial design for Berry's Creek is scheduled to finish in September 2025, with cleanup work estimated to start between July and September 2026.
Risk assessments found unacceptable risks to human health and the environment from mercury, methyl mercury, PCBs, and chromium. Groundwater migration is currently under control, meaning the spread of contaminated groundwater is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. However, construction across the entire site is not complete, and the site has not been removed from the NPL. A group of approximately 120 companies potentially responsible for the contamination is developing the engineering plan for the Berry's Creek cleanup. Six businesses currently operate on-site, employing 165 people and generating about $101.9 million in annual sales. Two warehouse owners have installed solar panels. Fish and crab consumption advisories remain in place for the entire Newark Bay Complex, which includes Berry's Creek.
Community members can review site records at the Wood-Ridge Memorial Library, 231 Hackensack Street, Wood-Ridge, New Jersey, or at the EPA office at 290 Broadway, 18th floor, New York, New York. The next sitewide five-year review is estimated to take place between June and August 2027. For questions, contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager.
