Syncon Resins once manufactured paints, varnishes, and resins on a 5-acre site in South Kearny, Hudson County, New Jersey. The company closed in 1981 and declared bankruptcy. The site is situated within a coastal wetlands management area and is bordered on the west by the Passaic River, a tidal waterway. About 11,000 55-gallon drums are stored in warehouses and also in the open on the ground.
Analysis indicates that many drums contain hazardous substances.
Many are volatile and flammable, posing the threat of air pollution and fire. Some drums have rusted, spilling their contents onto the soil. Several bulk storage tanks suspected of containing hazardous substances are also on the site. Two unlined ponds used for subsurface disposal of process waste contain hazardous organics. A large amount of soil is contaminated, and ground water is contaminated with organic chemicals, including benzene, PCBs, and toluene.