The Ramapough and the Ringwood Mines Superfund Site History, Culture, Education, and Environmental Justice

The focus of this research zooms in on a small community in northern Ringwood, NJ that consists primarily of the Ramapough Lunaape Turtle Clan—whose home was used as a dumping ground for toxic paint sludge by Ford Motor Company in the 1960s. Their deep cultural and familial roots and long standing residence on the land has compelled them to stay there despite the fact that the site has been named a Superfund Site.

Living off their land for generations prior to the realization they were living on a Superfund Site has led to extended exposure to the contaminants and supposed subsequent diseases. Deaths within the community were happening at an alarming rate, many of which occurred before the age of 60. This has led to a break in not only generations, but also their culture as there were few left to pass down their traditions to their posterity — some of whom have fled the home of their roots in fear for their health.

Canon Mine Site

Milligan D

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Margaret King Ave

Cannon

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Van Dunk Ln.

Pete

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Graphic visualizing Cancer Row, a street where each house has been affected by cancer in one form or another. In the bottom corner is a list of deaths and causes of death within the Ramapough community in Ringwood.

Historical and cultural research was done on the site to understand the Ramapough’s relationship with not only their land, but also the on-site Ringwood Mines, the town of Ringwood, the Ford Mahwah Assembly, and how the media and figures of the times have shaped their identity as a Native American group.

Graphic depicting the covert dump tricks that hid the paint sludge from official before dumping it in Ringwood Graphic depicting popularized local history which has hidden away the Ramapough’s contributions to society

Part of the team’s methodology included staying in constant contant with the Ramapough. Meetings with them were arranged so they could see and evaluate the team’s progress, powwows were attended, and many phone calls and internet-based contact occurred in order to keep them involved the entire way.

Site visits occurred to analyze local flora, fauna, and areas of contamination that are still undergoing cleaning.

Harsh literature within public record documents spanning from the beginning of the Superfund Site were translated to easier-to-read visuals that allowed the common person to read them both quickly and efficiently. Documents reviewed include EPA progress reports, NJDEP historic maps and documents, groundwater monitoring data, involvement plans, and decision documents.

Contaminants Site Map

Effective Phytoremediation Techniques & Solutions

Using the contaminants’ toxological profiles (compiled by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)), some of the conditions were found overlapping with those prevalent in the Ramapough community in Ringwood.

Water sources on site have shown signs of contamination through their drastic discoloration as shown above. There are concerns that contaminants have travelled down the mountain into the Wanaque Reservoir which services many surrounding municipalities including Newark, Clifton, Passaic, and Paterson. One of the testing wells showed trace amounts of 1-4 Dioxane, a relatively new contaminant, who according to the ATSDR, does not break down in water.

WHAT IS 1, 4- DIOXANE?

WATER TESTING WELL CONTAMINANTS

A contaminant found in the waters of Ringwood.

Colorless and a man-made chemical not found naturally in the environment, dioxane is considered a carcinogen by the EPA. Mild effects include irritation to the nose and throat, long term effects nclude liver and kidney damage. 1, 4-di-oxane is found in most common household products such as shampoo, soap, and even paper manufacturing.

Sally’s Pond

O’Connor Disposal Area

Cannon Mine Pit

Former Ringwood Borough Landfill

Peter’s Mine Pit

ARSENIC - FROM PAINT SLUDGE

CHLOROETHANE

1,4-DIOXANE

BENZENE

LEAD - FROM PAINT SLUDGE

Peter’s Mine Pit (PMP): 17 wells tested above al-lowed groundwater levels. High levels also found 250 feet deep in the Peter’s Mine Air Shaft

O’Connor Disposal Area (OCDA): 1 monitoring well tested above allowed groundwater levels

Cooper’s Mine Pit (CMP): 2 monitoring wells tested above allowed groundwater levels. High levels also found in the Cooper’s Mine Air Shaft

PMP: 7 monitoring wells tested above allowed groundwater levels. High levels also found in the Peter’s Mine Air Shaft

CMP: 1 monitoring well tested above allowed groundwater levels.

PMP: 8 monitoring wells tested above allowed groundwater levels. High levels also found in the Peter’s Mine Air Shaft

Many monitoring wells tested above alowed groundwater levels at PMP and its air shaft, CMP and its air shaft, and OCDA.

Sallly’s Pond and 13 other surface water areas also tested above the allowed levels for surface water

PMP: 1 monintoring well tested above allowed groundwater levels. High levels were also found in the Peter’s Mine Air Shaft

CMP: Cooper’s Mine Air Shaft tested above al-lowed groundwater levels.

2 surface water areas tested above allowed levels for surface water

MONKSVILLE RESERVOIR

Data from EPA’s Technical Assistance Services for Communities (TASC) Review of Site-Related Groundwater Remedial Investigation Report Addendum for Ringwod Mines/Landfil Superfund site; 2/8/18

Cooper’s Mine Road Spring

CANNON MINE ROAD SPRINGHistorically, water for the area was taken from the Cannon Mine Road Spring, where it now provides an opportunity to test the quality of groundwater as it becomes surface water. The water is now visibly degraded, often bright orange. Water tested in January contained industrial chemical, including chlorobenzene, aerosol propellants, and Freon.Water tested in May tested for benzene in concentrations just below the federal drinking water standard of 1 part per billion. Other benzene compounds, including chlorobenzene and 1,4-Dioxane were also detected.Water tested in July did not contain detectable contaminants.RINGWOOD’S DRINKING WATER TODAYThe people of Ringwood receive 8 million gallons of water per year from the Wanaque reservoir, at an average of 22,000 gallons a day. 3,251 properties in Ringwood are on aging borough utility lines, drawing water from 4 public wells and 3 tanks. Asbestos was discov-ered in the utility lines and have since lined the interior with PVC pipes.Houses which are not on the public water system draw from private underground wells, which are expensive to test and maintain, pos-sibly making them even more susceptible to water contamination. Data from Toxic Legacy and North Jersey.com

Story-telling remains to be a tool that the Ramapough use to pass down their traditional beliefs and customs. For example, The Butterfly Story focuses on how the Ramapough must evolve and adapt to the changing times in order to survive. Folk stories like these that especially pertain to the focus research were included in the final report.

Graphic visualizing the Butterfly Story utilizing images of an elder performing the Butterfly Dance at a powwow.

The research culminated into Our Land, Our Stories: Excavating Subterranean Histories of the Ringwood Mines and the Ramapough Lunaape Nation which was printed and began distribution in June 2019. It has been distributed to cultural and educational institutions arounds the state as well as the Ramapough themselves. The book is divided into two sections —the first of which displays the research done and the second being an interactive section that invites readers to write about their own survival stories, record their traditional recipes for posterity, and allows them to explore the idea of memorials in the landscape.

Our Land, Our Stories, an interactive exhibition on the aforementioned research and findings, opened on October 12, 2019 in Newark Public Library. A diverse group of attendees ranging from students, to journalists, concerned citizens, and project partners were in attendance. In order to communicate their story accurately, arrangements were made to bring the Ramapough to the event.

The event consisted of a Q+A panel with leaders from the Ramapough community and experts who have been with them throughout different stages of their fight for environmental justice. Attendees were invited to share their own stories on interactive boards, which were then put on display with the rest of the exhibition, and with sketch artists who live-translated their discussion into drawings.

The stories and sketches collected at the event will be put into the next edition of Our Land, Our Stories and continue to be distributed for educational purposes. At the conclusion of the exhibit in December, the display boards will move to Rutgers University, Ramapo College and the Mahwah Museum to continue spreading awareness on the ongoing struggles and activism of the Ramapough of Ringwood, NJ.