$18-Million Cleanup of N.J. Toxic Site OKd
About 50 companies, individuals and government entities have agreed to pay $18 million to clean up a hazardous waste dump near Atlantic City, one of the largest settlements ever negotiated under the federal Superfund program, authorities said Wednesday.
The settlement resolves an 8-year-old dispute over liability for cleanup of the Price’s Pit landfill.
“This is one of the first Superfund cases that was filed, and it’s taken a long time because of the number of parties,” Assistant U.S. Atty. Samuel Moulthrop said.
The agreement among the corporations, towns and individuals named as defendants in the suit, plus the federal government, New Jersey and the Atlantic City Municipal Authority, was submitted to a federal judge. He is expected to sign it after a 30-day public comment period, and cleanup of Price’s Pit could begin almost immediately thereafter.
The 26-acre landfill in Pleasantville and Egg Harbor Township was located near Atlantic City’s drinking water wells, which had to be shut down because of ground-water contamination. Between 1969 and 1976, it accepted municipal waste and hazardous waste.
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