The EPA’s most recent Record of Decision (ROD) was issued in September 2020. Contaminants in groundwater will be addressed at the site through the installation of wells near the Peters Mine Pit and Peters Mine Pit Airshaft. These will run perpendicular to the direction of groundwater flow, in order to introduce an oxygen-releasing compound into the aquifer to enhance the breakdown of contaminants.
This diagramatic section shows how deep the mines go along the incline shaft down to Level 17 at a depth of 1,800 feet.
In this clip Ramapough community leader Wayne Mann discusses the law that Governor Phil Murphy signed on September 18, 2020 - the New Jersey’s Environmental Justice Law which requires the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to evaluate the environmental and public health impacts of certain facilities on overburdened communities when reviewing certain permit applications.
"EPA cannot let Ford off the hook at the expense of the health of the people of Ringwood. Nearby residents say they have suffered from cancers, kidney ailments and other conditions as a result of the pollution. Contamination from the Ringwood Superfund site has already impacted state land and groundwater. Toxic chemicals from the site, 1, 4 dioxane are coming out of springs into streams that go into the Wanaque Reservoir, which provides drinking water for three million people. These chemicals are going into Mill Brook and Sally's Pond in Ringwood State Park. These are C1 streams and Highlands water. We believe the contamination from the mines going into the streams violates surface water quality standards. It also violates RCRA and New Jersey’s own groundwater cleanup standards"
