Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Fisher Scientific Chemical Division in Fair Lawn, New Jersey

Site Facts

EPA ID: NJD004362059
Location: 1 Reagent Lane, Fair Lawn, New Jersey 07410  

Property Area: 10 acres

Other Names: American Smelting and Refining Corporation/Federated Metal Division

Cleanup Status:  Corrective Action Underway
Human Exposure under Control:

Yes, Controlled (31 pp, 363 K, About PDF)

Groundwater under Control:

Yes, Controlled (30 pp, 301 K, About PDF)

Last Updated: October 2005

On this page:

  • Cleanup Status
  • Site Description
  • Contaminants at this Facility
  • Site Responsibility

Cleanup Status

Since EPA identified Fisher as one of the potential sources of contamination in the Fair Lawn Wellfields, Fisher participated in the closing of some of the municipal wells and in installing a treatment system on others. Presently, EPA is addressing the contamination at the Fair Lawn Wellfields Superfund site. Fisher installed on its site two trenches to recover contaminated groundwater and a system to pump the groundwater and treat it.

Fisher has also excavated contaminated soils. In October 1997, Fisher added seven new on-site wells to the pump and treat system. EPA and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) have evaluated the system capturing the contaminated groundwater plume and determined it is effective.

EPA is still investigating the Fair Lawn Wellfields site to determine Fisher's possible contribution to the contamination and to determine what is necessary to clean up the Wellfields site. NJDEP may require additional modifications to Fisher's pump-and-treat system based on the ongoing evaluation, or possibly require additional investigations. 

Additional Site Information

Site Description

Fisher Scientific Chemical Division occupies a 10-acre site at 1 Reagent Lane in the Fair Lawn Industrial Park, New Jersey. Since 1955, Fisher has formulated, distilled, repackaged and distributed high-purity, laboratory-grade reagents and solvents. In 1979, EPA identified Fisher as a source of contamination in the adjacent Fairlawn Wellfields, a federal Superfund site that contains drinking-water wells that were found to be contain volatile organic compounds. Pursuant to a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) permit, Fisher stored hazardous wastes in a containerized storage pad and treated hazardous wastes in a treatment system consisting of two tanks. These units were removed with no contamination left behind.

Contaminants at this Facility

Fisher's historical spills, predominantly in the truck unloading area, contaminated the groundwater. 

Site Responsibility at this Facility

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action activities at this facility have been conducted under the direction of EPA Region 2.

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Last updated on June 11, 2025