The FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center sits on more than 5,000 acres in Atlantic County, New Jersey. It has been on the National Priorities List since August 1990. The site is shared by the FAA, the New Jersey Air National Guard, and the Coast Guard. Past operations by the U.S. Navy, FAA, and National Guard left behind contamination across nearly 30 areas. The site is divided into 18 operable units, each targeting a specific area or problem. Remedial action started in August 1992, but construction is not yet complete.
Contamination is widespread and affects groundwater, soil, sediment, surface water, and fish. More than 150 contaminants of concern have been identified. These include volatile organic compounds such as trichloroethene and benzene, metals including mercury, lead, chromium, and arsenic, pesticides such as DDT and chlordane, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS come from historical use of aqueous film-forming foams at the fire training area and potentially from Air National Guard and airport operations. Mercury from former Naval operations is present in on-site streams, reservoir sediment, and fish. Groundwater contamination poses the greatest potential risk to people through ingestion, direct contact, or showering. Human exposure is currently under control, but groundwater migration status has insufficient data at this time.
The FAA is the responsible party and leads remediation with EPA oversight and involvement from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Recent cleanup actions include an in-situ thermal remediation project at the former Jet Fuel Farm, approved in August 2024, which is projected to cut the cleanup timeline by 140 years and save $218 million. A subsurface permeable adsorptive barrier was installed at the former Navy Fire Test Facility in December 2024 to treat groundwater passively. Chemical reduction and adsorption amendments were approved for shallow groundwater at the former AVGAS Fuel Farm and Photo Lab. Contaminated soil from a former underground storage tank at Area Y was excavated in January 2024. A sitewide PFAS remedial investigation began in October 2024. The most recent Five-Year Review, completed September 2024, confirmed existing remedies are protective of human health and the environment.
Institutional controls limit exposure across the site. These include fencing, secured entrances, reservoir closures, zoning restrictions preventing residential use, and groundwater use restrictions in certain areas. A fishing advisory is in effect for the reservoir due to high mercury levels in fish. The FAA issued a sitewide Land Use Control Assurance Plan, approved by EPA on July 23, 2023.
Community members can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator. The site's Public Information Repository is located at Building 305, FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center, Atlantic City International Airport, and is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The repository can be reached at (609) 485-5999.
