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Justice for our Home Waters

In December 2022, Save Barnegat Bay learned about a Voluntary Settlement Agreement between BASF—the world’s largest chemical corporation and owner of the toxic Ciba-Geigy Superfund site—and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Hailed through public relations and corporate green washing campaigns as New Jersey’s largest-ever Natural Resource Damage Settlement, this agreement is far from the victory it’s claimed to be.

The Ciba-Geigy Superfund site is one of New Jersey’s most notorious, linked to cancer clusters and environmental destruction along the Jersey Shore for over 70 years. The DEP’s decision to strike this deal without consulting the communities most affected, without releasing critical safety data or a full damage assessment, and without addressing extensive off-site natural resource damage is deeply flawed.

Under this deal, BASF can sell and redevelop the cleanest 200 acres for profit, while the company is absolved from all liability on the remaining contaminated land after only 20 more years. Even worse, BASF’s “donation” of 1,000 acre conservation easement back to the state is portrayed as an environmental gift to help rainwater restore the polluted aquifer below but ignores the facts that the rain water will become polluted by intersecting with the plume. In reality, Ocean County would inherit hiking trails, pollinator gardens, and an education center on an active Superfund site, requiring some 30 more years of cleanup.

Our community deserves far better. For the past year, Save Barnegat Bay has been fighting to overturn this deal in the Appellate Division of New Jersey’s Superior Court, alongside the Township of Toms River, with the goal of sending this unjust settlement back to the drawing board. We are incredibly happy to announce that we just had an amazing win in this fight. A panel of four Appellate judges voted to partially approve our motion to supplement the record in our appeal! Thanks to this ruling we will now be able to reference and use evidence our organization found within the DEP’s own records to help bolster our fight for justice. Beyond this landmark battle, we work tirelessly with communities throughout the watershed to secure justice—whether protecting 30+ acres of pristine forest in Breton Woods, Brick, or overturning an illegal dredge spoil permit in Eagleswood. We won’t stop fighting for what’s right.

Join Us in the Fight for Justice:

Alexandra Sellitsch

Alex is 27 years old and is an aspiring marine biologist who is finishing up her junior year at Stockton University. Growing up by the beach has made a significant impact on Alex’s life, which has influenced her passion for the ocean. She is an advocate for elasmobranch conservation, and enjoys getting her hands dirty in research. Alex is currently an intern with Barnegat Bay, researching pathogen influences in the bay’s water. She is also an active intern partnering with one of her professors, who is researching dual seagrass habitats in the Mullica River-Great Bay Estuary. In her spare time, Alex enjoys spending time at the beach and teaching herserself new hobbies. Hobbies that include roller skating, and surfing. Alex is also volunteering with the Berkeley Township Underwater Search and Rescue Team, and is in the process of obtaining her SCUBA certification.