Fairfield, N.J. (July 26, 2024) - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it is delivering on its promise to Invest in America and clean up Superfund sites that have been waiting for funding. Using a total of about $30 million in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA has demolished the heavily contaminated building at the Unimatic Manufacturing Corp. Superfund site in Fairfield, N.J. and has finished removing contaminated soil from the site. In September, U.S. Army Corps contractors will dig up and remove sediment in wetlands and streams downstream from this site and will also monitor groundwater. EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia and U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill joined state and local partners at the site today to celebrate the milestone and mark the beginning of the next phase of cleanup also funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. 

“Three years ago, I stood at this very site and made a promise that the EPA would use funding from the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to clean up legacy pollution at our country’s most toxic sites,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “Today we have delivered on that promise here in Fairfield, with a cleaned-up property and the opportunity to redevelop it and make it into something better for the community.”

“This investment of $30 million in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a monumental step forward for Fairfield and for communities across New Jersey affected by toxic pollution,” said Senator Cory Booker. “New Jersey is home to the most Superfund sites in the nation, and I’m proud to see federal, state, and local partners come together to secure urgently needed funding for the cleanup of this heavily contaminated site. Addressing industrial pollution and transforming this site into a safer place for the community will pave the way for a healthier, more sustainable future for New Jersey residents.”

“I was proud to fight hard to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is not only funding construction of the Gateway Tunnel, but is helping us clean up toxic chemicals from former manufacturing plants across the Garden State – including the Unimatic Superfund Site. I first visited this site back in 2019, and it is so exciting to be back to see how our federal tax dollars continue to be used to clean up Unimatic and improve the quality of life for New Jerseyans. Thank you to the EPA and all who are working to remediate the Unimatic Superfund Site,” said Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11).

“I applaud the Biden-Harris Administration, our Congressional delegation, the EPA, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for their commitment to making New Jersey safer as they continue work to clean up the former Unimatic Manufacturing Corp. site,” said Governor Phil Murphy. "I am pleased by the ongoing progress of this project and to see this work enter the next phase of sediment and groundwater cleanup. Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are continuing to make strides toward our goal of building a cleaner, greener future for New Jersey.”

“The DEP thanks the Biden-Harris Administration, the EPA and Representative Mikie Sherrill for securing Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds to accelerate cleanup efforts that will ultimately allow the community to repurpose this former industrial site to better serve their needs,” said New Jersey Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette. “New Jersey has a long history of industrial pollution, and BIL funds have made it possible for communities across the state to start fresh and make transformational investments that enhance residents’ quality of life and the environment we share.”    

“The cleanup of this Superfund site is a great example of how the community and the EPA work together to alleviate the concerns of our residents by eliminating dangerous chemicals from our Township. There have been approximately 50 thousand tons of hazardous material removed from Fairfield. This has been accomplished through the oversight of the EPA without increasing the local tax one penny,” said Mayor of Fairfield Township William Galese. “On behalf of the grateful residents of Fairfield, I would like to thank the EPA for eliminating this threat from our town.”

The Unimatic Manufacturing Corporation site is one of 115 Superfund sites in New Jersey. The metals molding facility operated machines using lubricating oil that contained polychlorinated biphenyls, also referred to as PCBs. Wastewater from the facility contaminated the on-site building, soil and groundwater, including the soil on three nearby properties. As a result, EPA placed the Unimatic Manufacturing Corporation site on the Superfund Program’s National Priorities List in May 2014.

Prior to EPA’s involvement, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection oversaw the removal of approximately 5,000 tons of PCB-contaminated soil from the Unimatic property, which reduced some risk associated with the site. However, widespread PCB- and pesticide-contaminated soil remained in the subsurface, both underneath and outside the building footprint.

In 2021, EPA announced the cleanup at the site would advance as part of the first wave of sites to benefit from the $3.5 billion in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help clean up polluted Superfund sites in communities.

EPA initiated the cleanup in 2023, demolishing the former Unimatic building in May and beginning to dig up and remove contaminated soil in October of that year. To date, EPA has removed over 50,000 tons of PCB and pesticide contaminated soil and replaced it with clean soil. In September, this first phase of the cleanup will come to an end and EPA will begin the second phase of cleanup work downstream of the site. EPA will dig up and remove PCB-contaminated sediment in wetlands and streams downstream from the site and monitor groundwater.

In 1980, Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, known as Superfund. The law gave EPA the authority and funds to hold polluters accountable for cleaning up the most contaminated sites across the country. When no viable responsible party is found or cannot afford the cleanup, EPA steps in to address risks to human health and the environment using funds appropriated by Congress, like the funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Visit the Unimatic Manufacturing Corporation Superfund Site profile page for additional background and site documents.

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