New Jersey Residents Challenge Settlement Over Toxic Waste Dumping

Environmental advocates argue the $500,000 deal with BASF fails to address $1 billion in estimated damage caused by decades of pollution in Toms River.

• Save Barnegat Bay and Toms River officials are suing to overturn a settlement between the state of New Jersey and BASF, the corporate successor to Ciba-Geigy, over toxic waste dumping.
• The settlement requires BASF to pay $500,000 and implement nine environmental restoration projects, including wetlands restoration and the creation of public spaces, over 20 years.
• Advocates claim the settlement undervalues the environmental damage, which they estimate exceeds $1 billion, and fails to fully address decades of pollution and its impact on the community.
• Ciba-Geigy’s operations in Toms River from the 1950s onward included dumping chemicals into the river and burying 47,000 drums of toxic waste, contributing to elevated childhood cancer rates in the area.
• The lawsuit is pending in state appellate court, with advocates seeking either a more comprehensive remediation plan or a complete overturning of the settlement.

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