E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc. (Newport Pigment Plant Landfill)

Overview

The Newport Pigment Plant Landfill covers 120 acres in Newport, Delaware, and includes a pigment manufacturing plant, two capped landfills, a groundwater treatment plant, wetlands, and portions of the Christina River. DuPont operated the facility for decades, producing pigments, dyes, and chromium dioxide. The site was added to the EPA's National Priorities List in February 1990 after industrial waste disposal contaminated the surrounding environment.

Contaminants of concern include heavy metals such as arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, and zinc, along with chlorinated volatile organic compounds including tetrachloroethene and trichloroethene. These contaminants were found in groundwater, soil, sediment, and surface water, including the Christina River and adjacent wetlands.

Cleanup actions have included soil excavation, landfill capping with barrier walls, wetland restoration, dredging of the Christina River, and groundwater recovery and treatment. A 700-foot steel barrier wall was installed along the Christina River in 1993 to stop oil seepage. Construction was completed in 2002. Today, the site supports active reuse. The BASF Corporation operates the pigment plant with about 600 workers, and DuPont continues chromium dioxide manufacturing on part of the property. A 548-kilowatt solar farm generates roughly 729,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.

Human exposure to contamination is currently under control, and groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. Long-term monitoring continues, including bi-annual groundwater sampling and annual pavement inspections. Institutional controls such as deed restrictions and groundwater use restrictions remain in place to prevent contact with remaining contamination. EPA completed its sixth five-year review in April 2025 and deferred the long-term protectiveness statement pending monitoring results from recent improvements at the South Landfill. The next five-year review is scheduled for 2030.

Community members can engage with the cleanup process through EPA's Community Involvement Plan, which outlines ways for residents to participate in decisions and stay informed. Questions can be directed to EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager, and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is also available as a contact for site information.