Latest DuPont Cleanup Plan Riles Pompton Lakes Residents

Homeowners worry that pilot study could flood their basements with toxic waste.

Residents of Pompton Lakes, New Jersey have a major threat looming under their homes—contaminated groundwater—and the proposed solution would pump water underneath these residents’ homes. According to an article on northjersey.com, residents are not happy with the pilot study and are pushing for Governor Phil Murphy to prevent the project from happening, as well as to add the former DuPont munitions site to the Superfund program.

Representative Tim Eustace says, "There's no reason we can't expedite this." According to Eustace, with over 400 residential homes located over the contaminated groundwater, the urgency to take action and prevent the situation from worsening has become even more severe. Governor Murphy has shown initial signs of taking action on environmental issues. Former Pompton Lakes resident Jefferson LaSala thinks Governor Murphy should listen to the residents. “"Governor Murphy's initial response was good, but if he wants to show himself to be a true environment-friendly governor, now is the time to deliver," says LaSala.

The proposed plan created by Chemours, a firm established by DuPont USA to handle all the pollution their plants have left behind in areas across the country, would pump clean water under residents’ homes. This action is designed to create a “wall” between homes and the contaminated groundwater. Residents aren’t convinced this solution will work, as they are afraid doing so will push contaminated water into their basements.

When located in Pompton Lakes, DuPont created explosives that were used in both world wars by the United States. In the process of manufacturing these weapons, toxic chemicals seeped into the groundwater below a residential community. Previous cleanups removed elevated levels of lead and mercury from waterways that flow from the former plant site through the town.

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