The Glen Ridge Radium Site covers about 130 acres across Glen Ridge, Bloomfield, and East Orange, New Jersey. It includes 430 residential properties and 14 municipal properties. Radium-processing facilities that operated in the early 1900s left radioactive material in the soil. Some of that contaminated soil was later used as fill or mixed into sidewalks and foundations, spreading the problem further. In 1983, New Jersey identified homes with high radon levels and excessive indoor and outdoor gamma radiation.
The three confirmed contaminants are lead in soil, radioactive material in soil, and radium-226 in soil. EPA determined each poses an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment. Groundwater was also investigated, but EPA found no action was needed there. Groundwater migration is now confirmed as stable, with no unacceptable discharge to surface water.
EPA started emergency work in 1983, installing temporary ventilation systems in 38 homes and gamma radiation shielding in 12 homes. Long-term cleanup began in 1990. Workers excavated radium-contaminated soil from affected properties in 15 construction phases, tackling the worst contamination first. Some jobs required digging under basement slabs. Residents at the most contaminated properties were temporarily relocated during that work. All excavated material was disposed of offsite. Cleanup and restoration finished, and the site was deleted from the National Priorities List in September 2009, meaning it no longer requires federal Superfund response action.
Human exposure is now under control. There are no unacceptable exposure pathways, and the site has achieved sitewide ready for anticipated use status. That means all cleanup goals for current and reasonably anticipated future land uses have been met and all required land-use controls are in place. Properties were restored so that public parks, streets, and hundreds of homes could continue to be used safely. As of December 2024, five businesses operate at the site, employing 50 people.
Community members with questions can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager.
