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Below are the top nine sites in Morris County responsible for polluting residents' drinking water. Most of these sites have been shut down since the 1980s and still pose a serious risk to human health. Cleanup is underway at each site, but as reported recently by Morristown Minute, more toxins have been discovered in another major source for New Jersey's drinking water, the Delaware River.
Combe Fill South Landfill
This municipal landfill in Chester and Washington Townships operated from the 1940s to 1981 when the Combe Fill Corporation (CFC) went bankrupt.
Contaminants have since seeped into the ground polluting surrounding land and water. 170 people live within a ½ mile of the former Combe Fill South Landfill, most using private wells as their source of drinking water.
In 2015, and more recently elsewhere across NJ as reported by Morristown Minute, carcinogenic chemicals were detected in household wells near the former Combe landfill.
In 1986 the EPA and state of NJ “selected a containment remedy for the site.” Containment is currently ongoing, the “estimate 30-year present worth cost of the [remedy]…is $21,933,592.”
Dover Municipal Well #4
Located in Dover, NJ, the site is approximately 1.5 miles east of three portable water production wells which serve a community of over 22,000 people. This public water supply is also located just 450 feet north of the Rockaway River.
The site was shut down in the 1980s after “chlorinated volatile organic compounds” were detected in the groundwater collected from the well.
The source of contamination was traced from a property located at “272 U.S. Route 46,” a former dry cleaner, which was later demolished.
The EPA says Dover Municipal Well #4 poses no threat if not used as drinking water.
Dayco Corp./L.E. Carpenter Company
The former "vinyl wall covering manufacturing facility" is located in Wharton Township and operated from 1943 to 1987 generating various solid and liquid waste hazards.
These hazardous chemicals were disposed of in “unlined, onsite lagoons located approximately 20 feet from the Rockaway River.”
These disposal practices contaminated groundwater with “volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are potentially harmful contaminants that easily evaporate into the air.”
Small amounts of these contaminants have been detected in the Rockaway River.
Picatinny Arsenal
The active U.S. Army weapons research and development facility has a history of explosives manufacturing dating back to the mid-1800s.
The arsenal covers approximately 5,900 acres in Morris County, NJ. Investigation of the site found that toxic chemicals were present in groundwater and surface water at levels far exceeding the Level of Concern (LOC).
Remedies include but are not limited to disposal and relocation of the entire 0.24-acre Munitions Waste Pit to be buried at a depth of 20 to 25 ft below ground surface (BGS).
Radiation Technology
Located in Rockaway Township, the site had various uses since the 1970s including rocket testing and deployment, and radiation sterilization.
The EPA claims the company improperly “stored and disposed of waste drums containing solvents and other organic compounds [that] contaminated soil, sediment, and groundwater with hazardous substances.”
“The site is designated as a historical district and any work on the buildings and structures must be performed with consent from the NJSHPO.” Cleanup was scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2021.
Rockaway well sites
Rockaway Township and Borough each contain a Superfund site, of approximately 2 square miles, impacting municipal wells.
Contamination of the two sites resulted from several sources including gas stations and industrial facilities in Rockaway Township and Borough.
Cleanup is ongoing.
“Water samples in 1979 and 1980 first indicated the presence of VOCs. Rockaway Township installed an activated carbon adsorption treatment system. The water then developed an unpleasant taste and odor. On October 10, 1980, the Township declared a water emergency."
“Investigations, conducted by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) at the site since 1980, indicated the presence of VOCs, primarily TCE and PCE, in the groundwater. Several inorganic compounds, including chromium, lead, and nickel, were also identified. This contamination, which has affected the wellfield, emanates from multiple source areas in Rockaway Borough.”
Rolling Knolls Landfill
This site, in Chatham Township, was used as an unlined landfill for over 30 years, contaminating soil, groundwater, and surface water with toxic metals, pesticides, and other pollutants from the 1930s to 1968.
Site cleanup is currently ongoing, but the threat posed to the surrounding community is currently unknown.
In 2005, the EPA came to a legal settlement with parties responsible for the contamination. Responsible parties agreed to fund the investigation of the site.
Sharkey Landfill
Located in Parsippany-Troy Hills and East Hanover, this 90-acre landfill accepted municipal, commercial, industrial, and hazardous waste materials that contaminated soil and groundwater from 1945 to 1972.
The site has been considered inactive since 1972, although there have been accusations of waste disposal post-1972.
The landfill is adjacent to the Rockaway and Whippany Rivers.
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