The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has given the green light to a cleanup plan for Berry's Creek in Bergen County, New Jersey. This plan addresses contamination at the Ventron/Velsicol Superfund site and nearby Universal Oil Products (UOP) Superfund site, both of which are interconnected.
Michael Martucci, EPA Regional Administrator, said, "Before we can start work on a complex site like this, we have to first complete the extensive engineering design work that serves as a detailed blueprint, so this is a big step toward cleaning up this site." He added that the project aims to reverse long-standing environmental damage in the area.
The cleanup strategy was developed by the Berry’s Creek Group under EPA supervision and follows plans selected by the agency in 2018 and 2019. It targets mercury and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination through sediment removal, capping, and habitat restoration. The work is scheduled to begin in late 2026 and will take about four years.
The project involves removing contaminated sediment from critical areas of Berry's Creek and UOP waterways. Protective caps will be installed to prevent mercury and PCBs from re-entering the water. Once completed, marshes will be replanted, and habitats restored.
Berry’s Creek runs through several towns including Carlstadt and East Rutherford, covering six miles of waterways and 750 acres of marshes. The creek has been under fish consumption advisories due to high levels of mercury and PCBs. These advisories will remain until cleanup goals are achieved.
For more information on these sites, visit the Ventron/Velsicol Superfund site profile page here or the Universal Oil Products Superfund site profile page here.
Information from this article can be found here.
