New Jersey is still grappling with the toxic residue of its industrial past. With 114 Superfund sites, including some of the most dangerous accumulations of chemical waste in all of America, the Garden State has a legacy unbefitting its name.
How many chemical sites are there in New Jersey?
According to federal data, New Jersey has 115 active Superfund sites as well as 35 additional sites that have been removed from the program.
How many Superfund sites are in New Jersey?
114 Superfund sites
The long fight and dangerous climate threat at a toxic waste site. New Jersey has 114 Superfund sites, the most in the nation, and Newark is home to four of them.
Why does NJ have so many Superfund sites?
Some common contaminated sites include abandoned warehouses, manufacturing facilities, processing plants and landfills. In response to growing concern over health and environmental risks posed by these contaminated sites, the 96th Congress established the Superfund program in 1980 to clean up these sites.
What state has the most hazardous waste sites?
New Jersey
New Jersey is home to the most hazardous waste sites in the United States, with 114 as of October 2021. This was followed by California and Pennsylvania, which had 97 and 90 sites, respectively.
How many landfills are in New Jersey?
There are 578 landfills in New Jersey with twelve of them still in operation.
What is the largest Superfund site in the US?
Hanford (USDOE) Site
The 586 square mile Hanford Site is home to one of the largest Superfund cleanups in the nation.
What state has most Superfund sites?
Superfund sites by state
The states with the most Superfund sites were New Jersey (113 sites), California (97 sites) and Pennsylvania (95 sites). The states with the fewest Superfund sites were North Dakota (no sites), Nevada (one site) and South Dakota (two sites).
Is New Jersey contaminated?
About 6 percent of the state’s 9.2 million residents are drinking water from systems contaminated by compounds known as PFAS, which have been found harmful to human health and stay in the body for many years. New Jersey was the first state to set strict standards for types of PFAS, well below federal guidelines.
What are the top 3 environmental issues in Newark New Jersey?
Here are some issues still facing the New Jersey:
- Combined sewer overflows.
- Unhealthy air quality.
- Protecting open space and farmland.
- Stopping sprawl.
- Cleaning up the state’s waterways.
- Cleaning up the legacy of toxic waste dumps.
- Converting the state to a cleaner running fleet of vehicles.
Was Agent Orange made in NJ?
Agent Orange, the chemical used to clear the jungle during the Vietnam War, was made in New Jersey. It’s now at the bottom of the Passaic River and buried under Newark, entombed in cement.
Why is it called a Superfund site?
The program is designed to investigate and clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances. Sites managed under this program are referred to as “Superfund” sites.
What toxins are found in Newark?
The majority of TRI releases in Newark were released into the air. In 2014, Nickel compounds, Methanol, and Chlorodifluoromethane accounted for about 69% of the on-site TRI releases. 31% of on-site TRI releases in Newark in 2014 were carcinogens.
What is the most toxic city in America?
Kotzebue, Alaska
The title for most toxic location in the United States goes to a remote, and perhaps surprising location. According to the EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), Kotzebue, Alaska, a city of 3,500 residents located 30 miles north of the Arctic Circle takes that dubious honor.
What is the most polluted state in the USA?
The Top Seven U.S. States with the Worst Air Quality
- #1: California. California consistently ranks as the most polluted state in the country.
- #2: Pennsylvania.
- #3: Texas.
- #4: Washington.
- #5: Oregon.
- #6: Alaska.
- #7: Utah.
What state is the cleanest in America?
California
1. California Cleanliness Score: 7.36
California is the cleanest state overall with a cleanliness score of 7.36.
Why is New Jersey called the garbage State?
Etymology. Modeled after New Jersey’s official nickname, Garden State, the implication being that the state is extremely unclean.
Which state has the most landfills?
California has more landfills than any other state in the nation—more than twice as many, in fact, as every other state except Texas.
Where does all NJ garbage go?
Once the trash gets to the landfills, the garbage haulers dump the trash on the base of the landfill before it is bulldozed into place and covered to prevent birds from picking at it. If the destination is an incinerator, the trash gets burnt while the emissions are released through the smokestack.
What is the most toxic place on earth?
DZERZHINSK, RUSSIA: This city of 245,000 has been in the top 10 since 2006—and was dubbed the most chemically polluted city in the world by Guinness World Records in 2011—boasting a “white sea” in the middle of town that is the residue of Soviet-era chemical manufacturing…
What is the safest distance to live from a Superfund site?
Superfund Sites – Environmental Hazards
This vapor intrusion then poses further risk to nearby residents, inside of their homes where they would otherwise be inclined to feel safe. Obviously, proximity to a Superfund site is critical; four miles‘ distance poses a decreased health risk as compared to a mere forty feet.