EPA Press Office:

EPA Finalizes Plan to Clean Up Contaminated Soil at CPS/Madison Superfund Site in Old Bridge, NJ

NEW YORK (September 28, 2023) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a final cleanup plan to address contaminated soil at the CPS/Madison Superfund site in Old Bridge, New Jersey.

“Finalizing this clean-up plan brings us one step closer to addressing the contamination at this site to protect the people of Old Bridge,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “Our final plan will ensure that the contaminated soil is safely removed, and that the existing pavement cover or cap is maintained and monitored in the long term to prevent any further impacts.”

The final cleanup plan will address the soil contamination at the Madison property portion of the site. Most of the property is covered by pavement that acts as a cap, preventing the soil contaminants from spreading. Under the final cleanup plan the existing cap would remain in place.

The plan includes inspecting and repairing the cap if any areas are damaged, removing contaminated soil in unpaved areas and transporting it to a licensed disposal facility off-site for disposal. In addition, EPA will file a deed notice with property records to avoid future residential use. Finally, contractors will monitor sediment and surface water long-term to assess how effectively the actions are at preventing contaminants from getting into the water and sediment in the nearby creeks and river.

The CPS/Madison site covers 35 acres and includes two adjacent facilities: the now-inactive CPS Chemical plant property and the still-operating Madison Industries/Old Bridge Chemical property.

The Madison Industries facility produces chemicals for fertilizer, pharmaceuticals, and food additives, and the Old Bridge Chemicals facility, operated by a related company, produces zinc salts and copper sulfate. At the CPS facility, organic chemicals were used in the production of water treatment agents, lubricants, oil field chemicals, and anti-corrosive agents.

The site operations led to the release of chemicals, polluting the soil, sediment and groundwater with heavy metals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In 2019, EPA chose a plan to address contaminated site groundwater and soil at the CPS property. The engineering work needed to carry out that plan is underway.

Prior to finalizing the cleanup plan, which is called a Record of Decision, EPA held a public meeting and received public comments.

Visit the CPS/Madison Industries Old Bridge Township, NJ Superfund site profile page for additional background and site documents including EPA’s responses to the public comments that were received.

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For further information: Contact: Carlos Vega, (646) 988-2996, vega.carlos@epa.gov