Rep. Pallone, Speaker Coughlin demands action from NL Industries to clean up toxic sediments in Raritan River
Long Branch, NJ – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) and New Jersey Speaker Coughlin sent a letter today to NL Industries, Inc. demanding immediate and comprehensive action to clean up toxic pollution left behind in the Raritan River near the company’s former titanium dioxide facility in Sayreville, New Jersey. The letter follows the company’s recent sediment analysis, which confirms elevated concentrations of arsenic, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc in riverbed samples—levels that exceed ecological safety thresholds established by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).
“It is unacceptable that, more than 40 years after ceasing operations at the Sayreville plant, your company has still not remediated its toxic legacy,” Pallone and Coughlin wrote. “Your latest report relies on shallow sediment samples—just 6 inches to 2 feet deep—in a river channel that, in some places, exceeds 15 feet. This limited methodology is inadequate and fails to address the full extent of contamination. Furthermore, dismissing the results as typical for an ‘urban river’ does not relieve your company of responsibility—especially given NL Industries’ well-documented history of environmental violations across New Jersey.”
In their letter, Pallone and Coughlin note that in 2009, environmental advocates filed a federal lawsuit to compel a cleanup, and in June 2024, a federal court found NL Industries responsible for contributing to the contamination. Yet the company still has not taken significant steps to remediate the site. The lawmakers urged NL Industries to conduct deeper sediment sampling, release all current and historical data, submit a detailed remediation plan, and commit to a full cleanup in coordination with regulators and the community.
The Raritan River is one of New Jersey’s most important natural resources, used by anglers, boaters, and families across the region. The state has invested in restoring the river and its habitats, including fish stocking programs, but the lawmakers warned those efforts are undermined when polluters like NL Industries delay accountability.
“Generations of New Jersey families have paid the price for NL Industries’ pollution. It is long past time for your company to do the right thing—and clean up what it left behind,” wrote the lawmakers.
Pallone serves as the top Democratic member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and has championed environmental cleanup and public health protections throughout his career in Congress.
The full letter can be found here and below:
Courtney J. Riley
President and Chief Executive Officer
NL Industries, Inc.
5430 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1700
Dallas, TX, 75240
Dear Ms. Riley:
We write with deep concern regarding the findings outlined in NL Industries’ recent legal status report and sediment analysis conducted near the Raritan River in Sayreville, New Jersey. Your preliminary sampling confirms what community advocates and environmental experts have feared for decades: elevated levels of toxic metals—including arsenic, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc—persist in the riverbed at levels that exceed ecological screening thresholds set by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
This is not a new issue. In 2009, the Edison Wetlands Association, Raritan Riverkeeper, and NY/NJ Baykeeper filed a federal lawsuit against your company, seeking to compel a meaningful investigation and cleanup of contaminated sediments adjacent to your former titanium dioxide facility. In June 2024, a federal court found NL Industries responsible for contributing to the contamination, yet the problem remains unresolved. It is unacceptable that, more than 40 years after ceasing operations at the Sayreville plant, your company has still not remediated its toxic legacy.
Your latest report relies on shallow sediment samples—just 6 inches to 2 feet deep—in a river channel that, in some places, exceeds 15 feet. This limited methodology is inadequate and fails to address the full extent of contamination. Furthermore, dismissing the results as typical for an “urban river” does not relieve your company of responsibility—especially given NL Industries’ well-documented history of environmental violations across New Jersey.
The Raritan River is one of New Jersey’s most vital waterways, used every day by anglers, boaters, and families who have a right to expect it to be clean and safe. The State of New Jersey continues to invest in restoration, habitat protection, and even fish stocking efforts along this river. But those efforts are undermined when polluters like NL Industries delay full accountability and action.
We urge you to take the following steps without further delay:
- Complete a full analysis of sediment contamination throughout the affected portion of the Raritan River, including deeper core samples.
- Publicly release all findings from current and future sampling, including past data from 2000 and 2002 that revealed similar contamination.
- Submit a detailed remediation plan to both federal and state regulators, and to the public, including a timeline and funding commitments.
- Commit to full cleanup of the contaminated sediments, in consultation with NJDEP and community stakeholders.
Generations of New Jersey families have paid the price for NL Industries’ pollution. It is long past time for your company to do the right thing—and clean up what it left behind.
Sincerely,
FRANK PALLONE, JR. CRAIG COUGHLIN
Member of Congress Speaker of the General Assembly