The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, natural resource Trustees for Berry’s Creek, released a Draft Damage Assessment Plan (PDF, 64 pages). The Trustees seek public comment on the proposed approach for conducting a Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA). 

Site History

Since the late 1920s, Berry’s Creek and the surrounding area in the Hackensack Meadowlands of New Jersey have been heavily contaminated with hazardous substances, including mercury, other toxic metals, Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). These contaminants of concern have accumulated in surface water, sediments, soils, groundwater, surrounding wetlands, and biota. The Environmental Protection Agency has designated three Superfund sites due to the contamination in the Berry’s Creek environment: Ventron/Velsicol, Universal Oil Products, and Scientific Chemical Processing.

The levels of mercury in Berry’s Creek continue to be exceptionally high and are among the highest found in any freshwater ecosystem in the United States. Fish, crabs, turtles, birds, mammals and other organisms have been and continue to be exposed to contamination. Mercury and PCBs also pose a serious health risk to people, particularly from eating fish and shellfish. Commercial harvest of striped bass, blue crab, and river herring are banned, and fish and crab consumption advisories are in place.

Public Participation 

As part of the NRDA process, the Federal Trustees released a Draft Damage Assessment Plan (PDF, 64 pages). This document outlines the proposed approach for assessing the harm to natural resources and guides future restoration efforts for the Berry’s Creek environs. 

Public participation is important in this process. The public is encouraged to review the draft plan and provide feedback during the 30-day public comment period, which ends on May 6, 2026. Public participation during the NRDA process allows trustees to incorporate valuable local knowledge and more accurately capture the full need for restoration. 

The draft plan can be reviewed online or in person at the Wood-Ridge Memorial Library, located at:
231 Hackensack Street
Wood-Ridge, NJ 07075

Comments may be submitted online to sean_bugel@fws.gov or mailed to:
Sean Bugel
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
4 E. Jimmie Leeds Road Suite 4
Galloway, NJ 08205

After the comment period closes, the Federal Trustees will review, summarize, and incorporate comments as applicable into the Final Damage Assessment Plan.

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