New Jersey Sues Companies Over Contaminated Morris Plains Site
New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has filed a lawsuit against several companies and real estate firms over a contaminated site in Morris Plains. The complaint demands financial compensation for past and future cleanup costs related to the shuttered pharmaceutical plant, which operated from the 1950s to the 1980s. The town of Morris Plains, however, was not included as a plaintiff, with local officials stating that the area has met DEP remediation standards.
The site, once a Warner-Lambert plant acquired by Pfizer in 2000, discharged hazardous chemicals including trichloroethylene (TCE). Linked to kidney cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and liver cancer, TCE contaminated the groundwater. Pfizer, along with Johnson & Johnson, Honeywell, and real estate companies, are named defendants. The DEP emphasized that despite remediation efforts and a 2012 Classification Exception Area (CEA) designation allowing redevelopment, the contamination could still pose health risks and ecosystem damage.
The lawsuit could result in a significant payout for the state, with previous settlements ranging from $393 million to $2 billion. The DEP is demanding compensation for past and future cleanup costs, extending its demands to companies that benefited from remediation efforts.
The Morris Plains site has a history of contamination dating back to its operation under Warner-Lambert. While the town was not included in the lawsuit, the DEP's action aims to recover cleanup costs and protect residents and ecosystems from potential health risks. The outcome of the lawsuit remains uncertain, but it could result in a substantial payout for the state.
