OSWER/OSRTI 

Washington, DC 20460 

NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST (NPL) 

***Proposed Site*** September 2012 

RIVERSIDE INDUSTRIAL PARK Newark, New Jersey 

Essex County 

 Site Location: 

Riverside Industrial Park is located in an industrial park at 29 Riverside Avenue in Newark, Essex County, New 

Jersey. The property is bordered by Riverside Avenue and residences to the west, and the Passaic River to the east. 

 Site History: 

In October 2009, the EPA responded to a National Response Center call about a reported oil spill into the Passaic 

River. The effluent was observed coming from a pipe on the property and the source was later traced to two basement 

storage tanks in a vacant building on the property. Sampling of the contents of the tanks indicated the presence of 

benzene, mercury, chromium, arsenic and 2,4-dimethylphenol at elevated concentrations. Approximately one hundred 

3,000- to 10,000-gallon vessels containing unknown material and ten 12,000-gallon underground storage tanks were 

also found on the property. It was later learned that in 2009, shortly before the release occurred, samples had been 

collected from ground water, soil, basement water and the underground storage tanks at Riverside Industrial Park. 

Those samples indicated the presence of metals, VOCs, SVOCs and PCBs at elevated concentrations. The property 

was occupied by a paint manufacturing facility in the early to mid-1900s. Later, the property was the location of 

various chemical packaging companies. Currently some buildings are occupied by various companies of unknown 

type, and some buildings are vacant. 

 Site Contamination/Contaminants: 

Soil, ground water and underground tanks at Riverside Industrial Park are contaminated with mercury, chromium, 

PCBs and VOCs. Those contaminants are used in a variety of industrial processes. 

 Potential Impacts on Surrounding Community/Environment: 

The release of contaminated effluent into the Passaic River threatens an EPA-designated Estuary of National 

Significance, the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary. The exact location of the release is within an area designated 

as a critical migratory pathway, feeding area and spawning area for various fish species, including two species which 

have been identified as Species of Concern by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The 

area of the lower Passaic where the release occurred has been designated by the state of New Jersey as requiring 

protection for critical habitat of estuarine species. The release of contaminated effluent into the Passaic River also 

threatens residents who fish for consumption in the area. The property is within an EPA-recognized Environmental 

Justice Area and the city of Newark has previously indicated that it intends to make the property, along with the entire 

Passaic waterfront within the city, a green area accessible to the public. 

 Response Activities (to date): 

In 2009, the EPA began investigating the extent of contamination at Riverside Industrial Park. A Superfund removal 

action is ongoing to remove vessels and tanks from the facility. 

 Need for NPL Listing: 

The state of New Jersey referred this site to the EPA. Other federal and state cleanup programs were evaluated, but are 

not viable at this time. The EPA received a letter of support for placing Riverside Industrial Park on the NPL from the 

state of New Jersey. 

[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/toxfaqs/index.asp or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.