Major Natural Resource Damage Claim with DuPont Settled
In one of the largest natural resource damage settlements in New Jersey state history, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bradley Campbell has announced an agreement with E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Co. (“DuPont”) to compensate the public for injuries to ground water at eight hazardous sites in New Jersey. The settlement includes preservation of 1,875 acres of land, planting of 3,000 trees in urban areas, payment of $500,000 to the state for water restoration projects and construction of a boat ramp along the Salem River.
“This settlement exemplifies a new paradigm for companies to resolve their natural resource damage liabilities in New Jersey,” says Acting Governor Richard J. Codey. “Long-standing damage claims are translating directly into permanent conservation of land and water resources, as well as expanded public access to natural resources.”