Crown Vantage Landfill

Overview

Crown Vantage Landfill is a 10-acre former industrial landfill sitting on the eastern shore of the Delaware River in Alexandria Township, New Jersey. From the late 1930s through the early 1970s, the Curtis Specialty Papers mill and Riegel Paper Company disposed of wastes there, including flyash from coal burning, pressroom chemicals like varnish and inks, and paper fiber sludge. The site may have also taken in flood-damaged materials after major Delaware River flooding in 1955. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in April 2005 and removed it in August 2015 after cleanup goals were met.

The contaminants of concern are benzo[a]pyrene, dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, and lead, all found in soil across the entire site. EPA determined these substances posed an unacceptable risk to human health and the environment based on the amounts present and the potential for exposure. The primary ongoing risk is contact with landfill materials if the forested cover is breached, for example by a falling tree damaging the engineered surface or the stabilization wall along the river.

Cleanup activities began with investigations in 1991. Workers removed more than 700 drums and drum remnants between 1991 and 2007. An engineered wall was built to stabilize the landfill's western face, completed in September 2007. EPA issued a Record of Decision in September 2011 selecting a remedy that relies on maintaining the forested cover, the slope stabilization wall, security fencing, and deed restrictions that prevent land uses that would disturb the site surface. Remedial construction finished in September 2013. Human exposure is currently under control, and groundwater contamination is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water, though monitoring continues.

The site is now in long-term operation and maintenance. Semi-annual monitoring and inspections check the integrity of the slope stabilization wall and fencing. EPA conducts a formal five-year review to confirm the remedy stays protective. The most recent review was completed in November 2022, and the next is estimated for November 2027 through January 2028. A deed notice and zoning restrictions remain in place to limit future land uses and prevent exposure to remaining contamination.

Community members can participate through a Community Advisory Group (CAG) that meets quarterly and is open to anyone. The CAG has held regular meetings since at least December 2018. Site documents, including the 2011 Record of Decision and materials from the 2004 removal action, are available at the Milford Public Library in Milford, New Jersey, and at the EPA Superfund Records Center in New York. Questions can be directed to EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager.