EPA Superfund site
LOWER HACKENSACK RIVER
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 Lower Hackensack River Superfund site is considered “Current Human Exposure Not Under Control” (HENC). Residents and recreational anglers are reasonably anticipated to be exposed through the consumption of any fish and shellfish caught from the lower Hackensack River. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has issued fish and shellfish consumption advisories for these waters based on contamination with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, and mercury.
Currently, the planned activities to address this pathway include:
- Completing the Remedial Investigation/Focused Feasibility Study (RI/FFS) to identify source sediments in Operable Unit 2 (OU2) and selecting an interim remedial action early in the Superfund process to control those sources.
- Evaluating and implementing additional early actions for other source areas where feasible.
- Planning and conducting a sitewide Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) after source control actions are completed to support selection of a comprehensive remedy for the site.
- Working with NJDEP and local partners to maintain and post fish consumption advisory signage and to conduct long-term fish tissue monitoring and institutional controls.
If you may be affected, you can reduce your exposure by not eating fish or shellfish caught from the Lower Hackensack River, practicing catch-and-release, and following posted signs and NJDEP advisories. For more information, contact the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator Drew Curtis via the site webpage or at (212) 637-3726 or [email protected].
EPA currently anticipates that human exposure will be under control by September 2053 because early actions to control source sediments will be completed, the sitewide remedy will be implemented, source controls throughout the site will be in place, institutional controls and advisories will be maintained, and long-term monitoring will be underway to evaluate whether risk-based cleanup goals, to be selected as part of the final and comprehensive remedy for the site are met by that time, culminating in the Final Closeout Report (FCOR).