Imperial Oil Co., Inc./Champion Chemicals

Overview

The Imperial Oil Co., Inc./Champion Chemicals site sits in Morganville, Marlboro Township, New Jersey. Industrial operations ran there from 1912 to 2007, including a chemical plant that made arsenical pesticides, an oil reclamation facility, and an oil blending operation. The site was added to EPA's Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. It covers about 15 acres and is now sitewide ready for anticipated use, with six to eight acres available for residential or commercial development.

Contamination spread across soil, groundwater, sediment, nearby wetlands, and Birch Swamp Brook. Groundwater contaminants include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, and dichloroethene, along with metals like arsenic, chromium, lead, and zinc, plus polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), phthalates, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Off-site soils contain benzene, toluene, arsenic, beryllium, and PAHs. On-site soils hold PCBs, naphthalene, and several metals. Off-site sediment contains PCBs, phthalates, and petroleum hydrocarbons.

Cleanup proceeded in phases across four operable units (OUs). Off-site soil and sediment were excavated and disposed of between 1991 and 2017. On-site cleanup from 2008 to 2011 removed 184,578 cubic yards of contaminated soil, demolished production buildings, and removed 56 aboveground storage tanks. Over 4,300 gallons of floating product were recovered. Wetlands were restored and two wildlife habitats for box turtles were created. Funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act supported major soil removal work. Groundwater treatment shifted in 2020 from active extraction to monitored natural attenuation (MNA), after sampling showed 10 of 14 contaminants of concern had fallen below cleanup levels. Arsenic, beryllium, benzene, and trichloroethene remained above cleanup standards as of 2020. Physical construction across the full site was completed on June 26, 2023, and the site achieved sitewide ready-for-reuse status on September 26, 2023.

EPA has determined that human exposure is under control and that contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. Fencing and well water restrictions reduce ongoing risks. The site has not yet been deleted from the NPL, and groundwater monitoring continues as a long-term response action. EPA completed its sixth five-year review on January 21, 2025.

Community members can review site documents at the EPA Superfund Records Center at 290 Broadway, 18th floor, in New York, at the Marlboro Township Municipal Building at 1979 Township Drive in Marlboro, New Jersey, or at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Bureau of Community Relations in Trenton. Questions can be directed to Community Involvement Coordinator Shereen Kandil or Remedial Project Manager Michelle Granger.