Monmouth Junction Chemical Company Violated Water Pollution Act

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — A Monmouth Junction chemical company admitted Tuesday in federal court that they failed to accurately monitor and report the pH levels of its discharges into the Newark public sewer system.

Cardolite Corporation, which is based in an industrial park off Deepark Drive between Raymond Road and Rt. 1, is an international chemical company. They formerly operated a plant in Newark, which discharged waste water into sewers maintained by the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission.

It was the state DEP that first learned of the violations at the plant, and referred the case to federal prosecutors. Federal investigators secretly installed a second pH monitor at Cardolite's wastewater discharge sites.

The Water Pollution Control Act requires companies to self-monitor their water discharge levels and report violations. Under its permit, Cardolite was required to monitor the pH level of its discharge using a probe, and maintain a pH level between 5.0 and 10.5. Readings below 5.0 of any duration, and readings above 10.5 that lasted an hour or more, were to be reported to the DEP.

However, the chemical company routinely had employees remove the probe for “calibration” when an alarm sounded indicating a violation, federal prosecutors said. Cardolite admitted that on six occasions between April 22 and July 14, 2015, they either failed to report higher-than-normal pH levels or tampered with their pH probe.

The company will pay a fine and restitution of over $150,000. It also must pay $53,338 in restitution to the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission.

No direct harm to the environment or infrastructure was attributed to the violations.

“Cardolite was required to accurately monitor and report pH levels of the waste it discharged into the sewer system, and instead it manipulated and falsified results,” said Attorney General Christopher Porrino.

“Put on the honor system, this company acted with dishonor,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “We will continue to work with the DEP and agencies like the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission to enforce our laws and protect the environment.”

Photo: Flickr Commons