NEWARK, N.J. (Legal Newsline) – The former operators of a site in New Jersey are being sued by the federal government for cleanup costs spent by the government to abate contamination.
The United States of America, at the request of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, filed a complaint Jan. 3 in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey against Fisher Scientific Co. LLC and Sandvik Inc. citing the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA).
According to the suit, Fisher and Sandvik began operating facilities at a site in Fair Lawn, New Jersey facility in 1955. The federal government alleges Fisher and Sandvik used solvents including methylene chloride and trichlorethylene in their manufacturing of reagents, solvents and cutting tools.
The suit states the surface water and groundwater are contaminated, the site was named a Superfund site in 1983 and the EPA has determined that actions are needed to abate the danger or threat from the site.
The plaintiff seeks a judgment for unreimbursed responses costs incurred by the government, costs and fees. It is represented by Jeffrey Bossert Clark, assistant attorney general of the Environmental and Natural Resources Division and Rachel Evans King, attorney for the Environmental Enforcement Section for the U.S. Department of Justice and others.
U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey case number 2:20-CV-00135-MCA-LDW