Curtis Specialty Papers, Inc. is an 86-acre former paper mill along the Delaware River in Milford and Alexandria Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The mill ran from 1907 to 2003 and was added to EPA's National Priorities List (NPL) in 2009 after poor waste handling contaminated soils and groundwater. The site includes a former main mill building, coatings facility, coal pile area, and wastewater treatment plant.
Three contaminants drive cleanup efforts: benzene, toluene, and tetrachloroethylene, all found in groundwater across the site. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have also been detected in groundwater above New Jersey Water Quality Standards. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were found in soil at the coatings facility area and have been addressed through soil remediation.
Cleanup has moved through several stages. Removal actions took place between 2007 and 2014, covering underground and aboveground storage tanks, chemical drums, lead-based paint, asbestos, and contaminated soil. Production wells and the aeration basin were properly closed. A creek running through the site was restored, and a former outdoor basin area was converted to revegetated open space. The mill buildings were demolished in 2019 and 2020. EPA selected a remedy in 2015 for Operable Unit 1, the entire site, using anaerobic in-situ bioremediation (treating contamination in place using biological processes), groundwater monitoring, and institutional controls. Long-term response action for that unit began in December 2020. A separate operable unit, OU 02, addresses PFAS contamination. A combined remedial investigation and feasibility study for OU 02 is estimated to begin between September and November 2027.
Human exposure is currently under control. No one is being exposed to contaminated groundwater beneath the site. Groundwater migration is also under control, with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. Institutional controls, including zoning restrictions, prevent residential development and limit groundwater access. A Classification Exception Area and Well Restriction Area application was filed with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection in March 2018. Physical construction is not yet complete across the site, and the site remains on the NPL.
Community members can stay involved through an active Community Advisory Group (CAG) that holds regular public meetings. EPA is hosting a community meeting on Tuesday, May 26th at 6:30 p.m. at the Fire House at 21 Water Street, Milford, NJ 08848 to discuss groundwater contamination and ongoing investigations. Site documents are available at the Milford Public Library in Milford, New Jersey, or at the EPA Superfund Records Center at 290 Broadway, 18th floor, New York, New York.
