On this page:

• Cleanup Status
• Site Description
• Contaminants at this Facility
• Site Responsibility

Cleanup Status

There has been concern that the deeper aquifer might become contaminated. However, since 1961, Solutia has been using three production wells that draw groundwater inward and upward from the deeper aquifer for plant production processes and for non-community potable water use. The pumping of the production wells draws the groundwater flow direction radially towards the wells and is preventing contamination of the confined aquifer. Due to the pumping, current evidence is that contaminated groundwater is contained within the facility.

Other remediation measures have included installation of a wall to contain contaminated groundwater, and a cap on one of the old landfills to prevent direct soil contact and to help to prevent leaching of contaminated rain water to the groundwater.

As requested by EPA, Solutia is conducting additional investigation at SWMU#1 PDA1 (Past Disposal Area 1) due to the ongoing presence of constituents in groundwater from monitoring wells adjacent to the north corner of PDA1.  Solutia is also delineating the extent of DNAPL and impacted soils and groundwater at SWMU#4 (Phenol Equalization Lagoon). 

In addition, Solutia investigated soil and groundwater at the other two disposal areas (SWMU #2 &3) and proposed a combination of excavation and capping.  For the RCRA landfill, Solutia proposed to install a lightweight cover system comprise of durable exposed geomembrance to accomplish final closer for this unit.

Site Description

The Solutia Delaware River Plant has been operating since 1961. The site was part of Monsanto until September 1977 when the corporation spun off its chemical business, which became Solutia Incorporated. The site is adjacent to the Delaware River on 461 acres, 220 of which have been dedicated to plant operations on Route 130 in Bridgeport, New Jersey. 

Solutia manufactured plasticizers, flame retardants, organic industrial chemicals and dyes. A stream runs south-north along the site. The land use in the vicinity is zoned for industrial use. All land surrounding the site is zoned for industrial uses, but much of the land to the east and the south is currently being leased for agriculture purposes.  Several residences are located within one-half mile of the site, but the overall area remains sparsely populated. 

In August 2000, Ferro Corporation (NJR000035865) purchased the business from Solutia which included the production area and all the tanks and container storage areas.  While Ferro continues to manufacture the same products, with the exception of dyes, Solutia will continue to be responsible for the remediation of all contaminated areas of the site under the terms of the 1994 EPA Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA) permit.

Contaminants at this Facility

The environmental threats at the site include the contamination of the shallow aquifer and soil with various oils, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), benzaldehyde, benzyl chloride, benzyl alcohol, benzene, toluene, xylene, phenol, ethyl benzene, dichloroethylene, trichloroethylene, vinyl chloride and metals. The main sources responsible for contaminating the soil and the groundwater are three old hazardous-waste disposal areas, a phenol equalization lagoon, two sludge lagoons, a raw-waste lagoon, a process sewer system, a storm-water drainage ditch, and a closed Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulated hazardous waste landfill.

Site Responsibility at this Facility

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action activities at this facility have been conducted under the direction of EPA Region 2.