In August 1979, about 150 drums of liquid chemical waste and sludge were illegally dumped on a 5.6-acre wooded property in Middle Township, Cape May County, New Jersey. The site sits less than three miles from a major aquifer recharge zone and is bordered by prime wetlands. EPA added it to the National Priorities List in September 1983, triggering a formal cleanup process that has continued for decades.
Fifteen chemical contaminants have been identified in soil and groundwater. These include metals such as cadmium, chromium, lead, and nickel, along with volatile organic compounds including tetrachloroethene, trichloroethene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, dichloromethane, and xylene. Semivolatile compounds such as bis(2-chloroethyl)ether and bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate are also present. Recent monitoring detected 1,4-dioxane in groundwater above New Jersey's interim standard of 0.4 parts per billion, and further assessment is underway.
Cleanup has involved multiple phases. An emergency response in 1980 removed about 1,200 cubic yards of contaminated soil and sludge. Between 1983 and 1984, Middle Township connected roughly 140 homes and businesses to public water after their wells were potentially affected. A 1987 Record of Decision called for excavating contaminated soil and treating groundwater. A removal action in 1991 took out about 1,500 tons of additional contaminated soil plus drums and gas cylinders. A groundwater extraction, treatment, and reinjection system began operating in January 1995 and continues today under New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection operation. Construction was completed in September 1995. A Classification Exemption Area and Well Restriction Area, put in place in 1999, prevents new water supply wells in the contaminated zone until groundwater standards are met.
EPA has determined that human exposure and groundwater migration are both under control. All cleanup goals have been met with no unacceptable risks identified, and the site is ready for its anticipated uses. The site has not yet been deleted from the National Priorities List. EPA is conducting its sixth Five-Year Review to confirm the remedy stays protective. The most recent prior five-year review was completed in 2021. Note: one source states the most recent five-year review was completed in May 2026, while another references a 2021 review as the most recent. Both claims are reported as stated.
Community members can review site documents at the Cape May County Health Department in Cape May Court House, New Jersey, or at the EPA Region 2 office in New York City. For questions, contact the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager.
