Authorities are seeking court-ordered cleanup actions and reimbursement for past and future environmental response costs after hazardous substances were allegedly released into the environment from a large site in Passaic County. The United States, joined by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and the Administrator of the New Jersey Spill Compensation Fund, filed a civil complaint on March 19, 2026, in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey against Ford Motor Co. and the Borough of Ringwood.
According to the complaint, this legal action is brought under Sections 106 and 107 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), as well as provisions of the New Jersey Spill Compensation and Control Act. The plaintiffs allege that both Ford Motor Co., a Delaware corporation headquartered in Michigan, and the Borough of Ringwood, a municipality in Passaic County, are liable for releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances at or from portions of what is known as the Ringwood Mines/Landfill Superfund Site.
The document states that “the United States seeks injunctive relief and recovery of costs incurred and to be incurred in response to releases and threatened releases of hazardous substances into the environment at or from” this site. NJDEP and the Administrator also seek “certain injunctive relief and reimbursement of costs they have incurred and will incur for discharge of hazardous substances at the Site.” The complaint explains that these claims arise from activities at a roughly 500-acre area in Ringwood that has been divided by federal regulators into separate segments called “Operable Units” for management purposes.
One segment, referred to as Operable Unit 3 (OU3), is specifically mentioned as addressing “Site-wide groundwater and mine water contamination.” Plaintiffs assert that both defendants owned or operated parts of this site during periods when hazardous substances were disposed there. The filing cites CERCLA’s provisions making current or former owners or operators liable for government-incurred cleanup expenses: “Ford is within the class of liable persons described in Section 107(a)(2) … because it owned and/or operated a facility at the Site at the time hazardous substances were disposed.” Similarly, it alleges that “the Borough is within the class of liable persons … because it owned and/or operated a facility at the Site” during relevant times.
The complaint further details statutory background on CERCLA’s purpose to address threats posed by hazardous materials: “CERCLA was enacted in 1980 to provide a comprehensive governmental mechanism for abating releases … known as ‘response’ actions.” It notes that under CERCLA Section 106(a), authorities may seek injunctive relief if there is an imminent danger to public health or welfare due to such releases.
In addition to federal law claims, plaintiffs invoke New Jersey’s Spill Compensation and Control Act. They allege both defendants are strictly liable—jointly and severally—for all cleanup costs resulting from discharges regardless of fault: “any person who discharges a hazardous substance … shall be liable … without regard to fault, for all cleanup … no matter by whom incurred.” The complaint asserts NJDEP has already incurred unreimbursed response costs related to addressing contamination at this location.
Plaintiffs request several forms of relief from the court: judgment holding defendants jointly responsible under CERCLA Section 107(a) for unreimbursed federal response costs relating to OU3; an order requiring performance by defendants under CERCLA Section 106(a) to carry out specified remedial actions; declaratory judgments binding on future cost-recovery efforts; orders requiring reimbursement by defendants to NJDEP for all past—and future—cleanup expenses with interest; as well as any other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
Attorneys representing plaintiffs include Mae Bowen (U.S. Department of Justice Environment & Natural Resources Division), Leena Raut (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region II), Matthew J. Platkin (Attorney General of New Jersey), Debra A. Allen, and Peter Sosinski (Deputy Attorneys General). The case is identified as Civil Action No. 2:26-cv-2846.
Source: 226cv02846_United_States_of_America_v_Ford_Motor_Company_Complaint_District_New_Jersey.pdf
