The remedial investigation and cleanup efforts at the Diamond Alkali Superfund Site are comprised of three separate areas: the Newark properties, the Lower Passaic River Study Area, and the Newark Bay Study Area. A partnership of government agencies is working together on development of the remedial investigation and feasibility study of the Lower Passaic River Study Area to remediate contaminated sediments, improve water quality, restore degraded shorelines, restore and create new habitats, and enhance human use along the 17-mile stretch of the Lower Passaic River and in several tributaries from Dundee Dam near Garfield, New Jersey, to Newark Bay. An early action for a portion of this study areas is being evaluated by the partner agencies. The USEPA has reached agreement with 73 companies considered potentially responsible for contaminants in the lower Passaic River. The agreement calls for the parties to pay for the completion of the comprehensive study of contamination and possible cleanup approaches for 17 miles of the Lower Passaic River. The Newark Bay Study Area includes the bay and portions of the Hackensack River, the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull. The remedial investigation of this portion of the site is being paid for by potentially responsible parties with oversight by the USEPA in partnership with the trustees. This study will assess the nature and extent of contamination in the Newark Bay Study Area and develop cleanup plans to address those problems.

The trustees developed a preliminary assessment screen (PAS) that analyzed existing information and the potential for injury to natural resources. The PAS lays out the rationale for the trustees proceeding with a damage assessment.

Preliminary Assessment Screen Cover Letter for Diamond Alkali, n.d.

Preassessment Screen and Determination for the Diamond Alkali Superfund Site, Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, August 2004

The federal trustees completed a Draft Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Plan in December 2007. The plan provides a framework for how the trustees will assess injuries to natural resources and their effect on services. The comment period for this document is now closed.

The trustees are currently assessing the scope of potential restoration opportunities in the region.