EPA v. Stepan Company

Case summary

On February 29, 2024, federal court in New Jersey signed and entered the consent decree for the Maywood Chemical Company Superfund Site (Site), located in Boroughs of Maywood and Lodi, and the Township of Rochelle Park, Bergen County, New Jersey. The Site was listed on the NPL due to risks posed by radioactive and chemical contamination from manufacturing processes at the former Maywood Chemical facility. The Defendant is liable as both a current owner and operator, as well as an operator at the time of disposal, and is the direct successor to Maywood Chemical Works a/k/a Maywood Chemical Company, which operated at the Site from 1916 through 1955. Pursuant to the terms of the CD, the Defendant will be required to implement the remedial action selected by EPA in its Record of Decision for OU1 of the Site, at an estimated cost of $8,694,000. The OU1 remedial action addresses chemical, non-radiological contamination identified in soil and buried waste at several Site properties contaminated with a variety of chemicals and waste materials, including metals, VOCs and SVOCs. The remedy includes excavation and off-site disposal of contaminated soil and waste material and establishment of institutional controls. The Defendant will also reimburse EPA for its future costs of overseeing performance of the OU1 remedial action work at the Site and pay $362,853.28 to settle Past Response Costs. Additionally, the CD incorporates certain remedial action work Defendant is already performing under a 2021 Unilateral Administrative Order pursuant to CERCLA Section 106. The CD also would resolve the OU1 response costs claims of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and provide for payment of NJDEP?s future oversight costs.

Defendants (1)

• Stepan CompanyNamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (1)

• MAYWOOD CHEMICAL CO.

  RTE 17 & GROVE ST, MAYWOOD, NJ, 07607

  Registry ID: 110009300121

Statutes cited

• CERCLA 107A — Cost Recovery
• CERCLA 106A — Imminent & Substantial Endangerment Order

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• Stepan Companyentered 2024-02-29

  Primary law: CERCLA

Timeline (6 milestones)

• 2022-07-08PRN Sent
• 2022-10-12Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 2023-09-27Referred To Dept Of Justice
• 2023-09-28Complaint Filed With Court
• 2023-09-29Final Order Lodged
• 2024-02-29Final Order Entered