State Files Lawsuit Against Bergen Manufacturer For Groundwater Damage

LODI, NJ — A Connecticut-based chemical company contaminated groundwater at its former Bergen County manufacturing site, a lawsuit filed by the state Department of Environmental Protection claims.

Acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and Commissioner of Environmental Protection Shawn M. LaTourette announced the lawsuit against Hexcel Corporation on Monday.

The lawsuit alleges that Hexcel, which had a site on Main Street in Lodi, "is responsible for damaging New Jersey’s precious natural resources by contaminating groundwater at the site," a joint news release said.

The lawsuit is filed in New Jersey Superior Court, officials said. The state is seeking compensation for natural resource damages, "specifically the lost value of groundwater tainted with volatile organic compounds, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and petroleum products."

As Lodi is significantly low-income and has a higher minority population, it is considered overburdened under New Jersey’s Environmental Justice Law.

Hexcel owned and operated the Lodi manufacturing facility from 1973-1986, officials said. Fine Organics operated the plant from 1986-1998, according to the press release.

Fine Organics Corporation is also named in the lawsuit, officials said.

The lawsuit alleges both companies violated New Jersey's Spill Compensation and Control Act and Water Pollution Control Act, and that they unlawfully trespassed and created a public nuisance by contaminating groundwater.

Some of these chemicals have been linked to respiratory tract irritation, kidney dysfunction, and cognitive or neurological issues, according to officials.

"The contamination at issue in today’s lawsuit involves a mix of toxic chemical pollutants and fuel oil that originated from leaking storage tanks and regular operations at the Hexcel plant over a span of many years, and found its way into groundwater beneath the property," Platkin and LaTourette said. "Groundwater is an important natural resource for the community near the site and the people of New Jersey."

Hexcel already removed 8,500 cubic yards of contaminated soil and 53,000 gallons of groundwater from the property, officials said.

"However, as of 2016 groundwater at the site still had not reached its pre-contamination condition, and was not projected to until at least 2041," the news release said.