The Beachwood/Berkley Wells site sits in the New Jersey Pinelands area and covers parts of Berkeley Township and Beachwood Borough in Ocean County. It was added to the National Priorities List in 1983 after lead was found in groundwater throughout the area. The site is also known as the Beachwood Plaza Shopping Center. It has since been deleted from that list, meaning cleanup goals have been met.
Lead was the contaminant of concern, found in groundwater across the entire site. The source was not industrial dumping. Instead, the area's naturally corrosive water was leaching lead out of residential plumbing pipes. A 1986 EPA investigation confirmed that residential plumbing was the primary source, with only a minor contribution from the native groundwater itself. In 1982, the Ocean County Health Department closed 128 private wells fed by the Cohansey Aquifer, which had been the main drinking water source for local residents, and provided bottled water in the meantime.
The cleanup focused on connecting homes to a public water supply rather than treating the aquifer. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection issued an Administrative Order requiring the public water system to be extended to all homes in Beachwood Borough east of the Garden State Parkway, and all homes in that area were required to connect. Construction finished in late 1983. A remedial investigation began in January 1984, and the state completed a combined investigation and feasibility study. EPA selected the final remedy on June 30, 1988. Because the contamination stemmed from natural groundwater conditions rather than a pollution source, EPA determined no further Superfund cleanup actions were needed and handed responsibility to the state. Construction was formally completed on May 3, 1991, and the site was deleted from the National Priorities List on January 6, 1992.
Today, human exposure is considered under control. There are no unacceptable exposure pathways, and groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. The site is sitewide ready for anticipated use, meaning all cleanup goals for current and future land uses have been achieved. EPA will continue monitoring to confirm that affected groundwater stays within the original contamination area. Community members with questions can contact the EPA directly. Physical records related to Superfund work at the site are available at the EPA Records Center at 290 Broadway, 18th floor, New York City, or by calling (212) 637-4308.
