Montgomery Township Housing Development

Overview

The Montgomery Township Housing Development covers 72 acres in Somerset County, New Jersey, and consists of 71 homes built in the 1960s. Volatile organic compounds, including trichloroethene (TCE), were detected in a neighboring well in 1978. Testing of the development's private wells revealed widespread contamination. EPA placed the site on the National Priorities List in September 1983.

EPA identified 13 contaminants of concern in groundwater. These include trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, 1,1-dichloroethene, arsenic, barium, beryllium, chlordane, chromium, lead, nickel, and silver. Cleanup was organized into three operable units covering an alternate water line, groundwater remediation, and sitewide actions.

As an emergency measure starting in 1981, the township connected homes to a public water supply through the Elizabethtown Water Company. By 1990 that connection was fully in place, and 43 residential wells were sealed by 2005. For groundwater, EPA selected a remedy in 1988 that included pumping and treating contaminated water using carbon filtration and discharging treated water to surface water. Two treatment plants began operating in January 2005. In 2014, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection established a Groundwater Classification Exception Area to support long-term protectiveness. Groundwater remediation transitioned from EPA operation and maintenance to state operation and maintenance in September 2024. Zoning restrictions are in place to prevent land uses incompatible with cleanup levels.

Construction was completed in August 2005, and the site achieved sitewide ready for anticipated reuse in July 2017. Human exposure to contamination is under control, and contaminated groundwater is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water expected. Eleven businesses now operate on-site, employing 51 people and generating roughly $53.5 million in annual sales. Five-year reviews in 2010, 2016, and 2020 confirmed the remedies protect human health and the environment. A fourth five-year review was completed in May 2025. The site has not yet been deleted from the National Priorities List.

Community members with questions can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager. Site records are available at the EPA Superfund Records Center in New York City and at local repositories in Montgomery Township and Rocky Hill, New Jersey.