TOMS RIVER, NJ – Toms River residents continue to fight against a proposal by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy to turn 250 acres of one of the nation’s worst superfund disaster sites into a residential community.
While the governor is proposing to preserve 1,000 acres at the toxic waste site, a carveout for the owner of the land, BASF, would allow the company to build homes and businesses on 250 or so acres of the contaminated site responsible for the pollution of the water supply in Toms River.
The Ciba Geigy Superfund site in Toms River, New Jersey, has been a source of concern for decades due to water contamination that has affected the community’s health.
Locally, Toms River Mayor Maurice “Mo” Hill, who until recently supported the plan to build on property owned by Ciba-Geigy along Route 37, has spoken out against Governor Phil Murphy’s plan.
Ciba Geigy has become another issue of contention in an upcoming election between Hill and Toms River Councilman Daniel Rodrick, who opposes any development at the EPA superfund site.
Rodrick suggested that if he becomes the next mayor of Toms River, he would seek eminent domain and offer BASF the value of the property it asked for during a recent tax reassessment. BASF sued Toms River and won their case to devalue the land. The township had to pay $13 million in tax refunds to the company after losing an appeal in 2021. That decision forced the township to borrow money to pay the chemical corporation.
BASF fought the township to lower their appraised land value to $2.44 million. Previously, the township assessed the land value at $20.6 million. Now, BASF wants to squeeze more blood out of the taxpayers of New Jersey and Toms River.
Ciba Geigy, a now-defunct chemical company that BASF subsequently purchased, operated a manufacturing plant in Toms River from the 1950s to the 1990s. The company produced a variety of chemicals, including dyes and pigments. During its operation, the company released hazardous chemicals into the soil and water, contaminating the surrounding environment.
The water contamination caused by the Ciba Geigy site has had severe consequences for the health of the Toms River community. Studies have found a higher incidence of cancer and other health problems in the area surrounding the site. The contamination has also had an impact on the local ecosystem, affecting the fish and other aquatic life in the Toms River.
In response to the contamination, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designated the Ciba Geigy site as a Superfund site in 1983. This designation meant that the site was one of the most contaminated locations in the United States and required a long-term cleanup effort.
The cleanup effort has been ongoing for several decades and involves removing and treating contaminated soil and groundwater. The EPA has also worked to contain the contamination by constructing barriers to prevent the spread of contaminated water.
Despite these efforts, the Ciba Geigy Superfund site continues to concern the Toms River community. In 2014, the EPA found that groundwater contamination from the site had migrated further than previously thought, leading to renewed concerns about the health effects of the contamination.
The Ciba Geigy Superfund site is just one example of industrial pollution’s impact on communities. While the EPA and other government agencies have tried to address the contamination, the long-term consequences of pollution can be difficult to understand or address fully. The ongoing concern over the Ciba Geigy site serves as a reminder of the importance of responsible environmental stewardship and the need to prioritize public health when dealing with environmental contamination.