New Jersey Targets Polluters in Eight New Environmental Enforcement Actions

New Jersey Targets Polluters in Eight New Environmental Enforcement Actions to Protect Overburdened Communities and Settles Two Environmental Justice Cases for $50,000 Each.

New Jersey’s Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection Shawn M. LaTourette have announced eight new environmental enforcement actions targeting polluters across the state whose toxic legacies continue to threaten public health, safety, and the environment. 

Five of these actions focus on environmental justice, centering on a broad array of toxic pollutants in Newark, Fort Lee, Milltown, and Camden, where significant low-income, minority, and/or limited-English proficiency populations reside. 

Three additional lawsuits require responsible parties to clean up contamination and recover costs DEP incurred in addressing that contamination at other sites. 

Additionally, two environmental justice case settlements were announced. With today’s announcement, the Attorney General’s Office and DEP have filed a total of 56 environmental justice cases since 2018, yielding nearly $19 million in judgments. 

The lawsuits have resulted in court orders requiring responsible parties to protect public health and the environment by remediating the properties at issue. 

The eight actions seek a variety of court-directed remedies, including clean-up of the tainted properties, payment of civil penalties, compliance with administrative orders previously issued by DEP, and reimbursement to the State for site investigation, remediation, monitoring, and other related work.

Environmental Justice Actions:

• Canrad Hanovia: DEP-issued Directive for remediation of soil and groundwater contamination; multiple responsible parties.
• Fort Lee Tire Center: Lawsuit for gasoline-contaminated soil remediation; defendant is Thomas Argiro, owner since 1984.
• MJ & Sons: Lawsuit against illegal solid waste transport and storage businesses; defendants are private individuals and companies, including Walter Miranda and Miriam Miranda.
• SB Milltown: Lawsuit to remediate PCB-contaminated property and waterways; multiple defendants.
• International Customer Corp.: Lawsuit for soil and groundwater contamination remediation; defendants are Harshad M. Desai, Dinesh R. Desai, and Hiro B. Pahlajani.

Environmental Justice Settlements:

• American Fabric: DEP lawsuit for air emissions; company now in compliance, has paid $50,000 in penalties.
• Baja Auto Services: DEP lawsuit for abandoned gas station with underground tanks; settlement reached, tanks removed, and $50,000 penalty paid.

Remediation and Cost Recovery Actions:

• Oak Ridge: DEP seeks remediation and cost recovery from ESCO Products, Inc. for hazardous substance discharges.
• Wawa Plaza: DEP seeks remediation and cost recovery from Melcam Properties, LLC for benzene and 1,2-dichloroethane contamination.
• Frimair (America) East, Inc.: DEP seeks remediation and cost recovery for PERC contamination; defendants are former and current property owners.