Radiation Technology
Rockaway Township, NJ
Site Description
Radiation Technology, Inc. (RTI) is a 263-acre site located close to Lake Denmark in Rockaway, New Jersey.
The site's surrounding area is generally characterized by residential and light industrial land uses. Prior to
1972, activities at the site included the testing and development of rocket motors and propellants. Since 1972,
on-site operations included radiation sterilization, production of architectural products, and production and
finishing of hardwood flooring. Sampling of two on-site water-supply wells in 1981 by the Rockaway Township
Health Department showed volatile organic compounds had contaminated the groundwater. The contamination
was a result of improperly stored and disposed of waste drums containing solvents and other organic
chemicals on the site. The area depends on groundwater for drinking supplies, however, the contamination is
not impacting people's drinking water wells.
Current Site Status and Cleanup Actions to Date
•	As a result of enforcement actions by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
(NJDEP), RTI conducted several site activities including groundwater monitoring and sampling, an
investigation into the nature and extent of site contamination, and, as part of its agreement to perform
site cleanup activities, removal of abandoned tanks and drums. Those activities occurred from 1983
until 1997 when RTI's activities ceased due to lack of funds.
•	In 2001, EPA took over site cleanup activities at New Jersey's request. In 2004, EPA's enforcement
actions against Alliant Techsystems (the successor to Thiokol, the former site owner and operator),
resulted in a negotiated consent decree whereby the firm agreed to undertake site groundwater
cleanup. Alliant is currently conducting a pilot study to see if injection of emulsified oil can be used to
treat the groundwater in lieu of groundwater extraction and treatment.
•	Also in 2004, EPA and Alliant Techsystems reached agreement that Alliant would perform a remedial
investigation of potentially contaminated source areas on the site. The investigation revealed that a
drum-waste disposal area on the site needed to be addressed. In 2011, EPA issued a cleanup plan
calling for the excavation of drum material and associated soil, which Alliant completed in 2014.
•	In 2013, EPA completed its investigation of remaining on-site buildings and structures leading to the
identification and removal of 70 drums/containers previously unidentified. EPA also found asbestos,
lead and PCB contaminated material and issued a cleanup plan to address that contamination through
demolition and selective removal of contaminated material in 2014.
•	EPA has determined that all unacceptable human exposure pathways have been eliminated, and
therefore, under current conditions, human exposure is under control site wide.
Unfunded Action
The FY 2014 unfunded remedial action for this site consisted of building and structure demolition and selective
removal and disposal of contaminated structures and wastes.
Current Funding Status
To date, EPA has spent approximately $160,200 on construction work at the site.

For more information on this site, please read the Radiation Technology, Inc. site information on the
Region 2 Superfund website.

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