EPA Superfund site
CORNELL DUBILIER ELECTRONICS INC.
Human exposure is NOT currently under control
Data limitations: Proximity to a Superfund site boundary does not mean your property is contaminated. EPA site boundaries show the area designated for cleanup, not the full extent of contamination. Groundwater plumes can extend beyond site boundaries. This tool shows publicly available EPA federal data. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by EPA, and is not a substitute for a professional environmental assessment.
About this site's exposure pathways
As of May 2026, the Cornell Dubilier Electronics Inc. Superfund site is considered “Current Human Exposure Not Under Control” (HENC). The baseline human health risk assessment (BHHRA) for Operable Unit 4 (OU4) found unacceptable cancer risk and non‑cancer hazard from exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sediment, floodplain soil, fish, and shellfish throughout the Bound Brook study area. Residents and recreational users are reasonably anticipated to be exposed through direct contact with PCB‑contaminated sediments and floodplain soils and by eating locally caught fish and shellfish.
Currently, the planned activities to address this pathway include removing PCB‑contaminated sediment and floodplain soils for off‑site disposal and implementing institutional controls required by the Record of Decision (ROD). The OU4 remedy calls for excavation of sediment and floodplain soils with PCB concentrations above 1 milligram per kilogram (mg/kg) and off‑site disposal. Institutional controls include: (1) a New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) fish advisory for Bound Brook; (2) a Classification Exception Area (CEA), placed on October 17, 2019, restricting installation of new drinking‑water wells; and (3) a deed notice, recorded on May 8, 2026, for the former Cornell‑Dubilier property to prevent residential or unrestricted use. The remedy also requires continued bilingual signage to remind anglers and other recreational users of PCB risks and to encourage preventive measures such as catch‑and‑release and avoiding contact with sediments and floodplain soils. EPA is implementing the OU4 Phase 4 cleanup downstream of the former facility. The first reach was completed in 2024, and work on the next two reaches began in fall 2025.
If you may be affected, you can reduce your exposure by not eating fish or shellfish from Bound Brook, avoiding contact with sediments and floodplain soils, and following posted signs. For assistance, contact the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator Olivia Cappo via the site webpage or at (212) 637-3532 or [email protected].
EPA currently anticipates that human exposure will be under control by September 2051 because excavation of OU4 sediment and floodplain soils across all reaches will be complete, institutional controls will be fully implemented and effective, and cleanup goals will be met, as reflected in the Superfund Enterprise Management System (SEMS).