Superfund Site's Removal from Priorities List to be Official

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is scheduled to announce the removal of a Superfund property from the National Priorities List on Tuesday.

W.R. Grace & Co. used to be located on the 6-acre site. The company extracted thorium and other elements from ore at the site from the late 1940s to the early 1970s.

In 1980, the State conducted a survey that showed elevated radiation levels at the plant site, an adjacent school bus maintenance facility, a township park, the banks of Sheffield Brook, and the Pompton Plains railroad spur.

The site was placed on the National Superfund Priorities List in 1984. Site remediation began in June 2000 and was completed in December 2001.

The town is planning on building a dog park and playground on the property.

The park is slated to contain separate fenced-in areas for large and smaller dogs, a playground, and a walking path.

Mayor Chris Vergano previously said the town would receive nearly $450,000 in grants to help finance the project.

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