OSWER/OSRTI

Washington, DC 20460

NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST (NPL) 

***Proposed Site*** October 2010 

MANSFIELD TRAIL DUMP Byram Township, New Jersey

Sussex County

 Site Location:

The Mansfield Trail Dump site, which consists of several waste disposal trenches in a wooded area near the Mansfield Bike 

Path, is located in rural Sussex County in northwestern New Jersey. The site is located near the intersection of the 

Mansfield Bike Path and Stanhope-Sparta Road. 

 Site History:

Sampling by the Sussex County Department of Health in 2005 identified trichloroethene (TCE), an organic solvent used in 

industrial processes, in residential wells along Brookwood and Ross Roads in Byram Township. In an effort to identify the 

source of the contamination in 2009, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) identified and 

investigated four areas of concern (Dump Areas A, B, C, and D) in a wooded area near the Mansfield Bike Path. NJDEP 

found evidence of TCE contamination in Dump Areas A and D, which consist of trenches in which sludge of unknown

origin has been deposited. 

 Site Contamination/Contaminants:

Sampling and analysis conducted by NJDEP in 2009 indicated the presence of TCE in Dump Area A and Dump Area D 

above the New Jersey Default Impact to Groundwater Soil Screening Levels. Other volatile organic compounds, such as 

cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cis-1,2-DCE) and various chlorinated benzene compounds, have also been detected. 

 Potential Impacts on Surrounding Community/Environment: 

TCE has migrated from the dump area to residential drinking water wells, indoor air, and sub-slab soil gas on Brookwood 

and Ross Roads. NJDEP collected indoor air and sub-slab soil gas samples from homes throughout the neighborhood. The 

results varied with some homes showing TCE concentrations above state screening levels in just the sub-slab samples and 

some homes showing TCE concentrations above screening levels in both the sub-slab and indoor air samples. EPA’s waste 

source and residential well sampling confirmed the presence of TCE in on-site sludge and the residential wells. 

 Response Activities (to date):

Eighteen homes currently utilize carbon water filtration and treatment systems installed by NJDEP to remove contaminants 

from their drinking water. In addition, based on the results of indoor air and sub-slab soil gas samples, NJDEP installed 

sub-slab depressurization systems in five of the homes. 

 Need for NPL Listing:

The State of New Jersey referred this site to EPA. Other federal and state cleanup programs were evaluated, but are not 

viable at this time. EPA received a letter of support for placing this site on the NPL from the state. 

[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was evaluated with the HRS. The description may change 

as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination.]

For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these 

substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet 

at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.