Industrial Latex Corporation made chemical adhesives and rubber compounds in Wallington, New Jersey from 1951 to 1983. Poor waste handling left the site heavily contaminated, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) placed it on the National Priorities List (NPL), the federal roster of the most contaminated sites, in March 1989. Cleanup is fully complete, and the EPA removed the site from the NPL in April 2003.
The EPA identified 97 contaminants of concern across soil, sediment, solid waste, and buildings. These include heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, arsenic, chromium, and beryllium, along with volatile organic compounds like benzene, toluene, and xylene. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), specifically Aroclor 1260, were found in multiple media including sediment, soil, and buildings. The site also contained chlorinated dioxins and furans, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides, and phthalates. Solvents used in production, including acetone, heptane, hexane, methyl ethyl ketone, and 1,1,1-trichloroethane, contributed to soil contamination.
Cleanup began in 1986 with the treatment and recycling of over 130,000 gallons of contaminated liquids and removal of more than 1,200 drums and 22 underground storage tanks. Between July and November 1995, two buildings were demolished and 30 process vats were removed. Soil was then excavated and treated using low-temperature thermal desorption from November 1998 through June 2000. Groundwater sampling in 2000 found no site-related chemicals above drinking water standards, so no groundwater action was taken. Residual contamination on a nearby property was excavated and addressed by spring 2017.
The site has been cleaned to unrestricted residential use standards. Human exposure is under control, with no unacceptable exposure pathways identified. No ongoing monitoring or institutional controls are required. The site also achieved Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use status on June 13, 2006, confirming that all cleanup goals for current and future land uses have been met.
Community members with questions can contact the EPA directly. Documents related to the cleanup are available for public review at the EPA's Superfund Records Center in New York City and at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Library in Wallington.
