EPA and Partners Highlight Progress on Brownfields Cleanup of Infamous Illegal Dumping Site in Camden, NJ
$2.5 million EPA Brownfields grant will support cleanup of former S. Yaffa & Sons facility
NEW YORK — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its local and state partners today joined forces to highlight a huge leap forward for the Brownfields cleanup and redevelopment efforts at the former S. Yaffa & Sons facility in Camden. The City of Camden is slated to receive a $2.5 million EPA Brownfields grant to drive final cleanup activities at the property, which has been the infamous site of illegal dumping. With these funds, EPA is delivering on the Trump Administration’s commitment to provide clean air, land, and water for Americans while providing economic growth and opportunity for communities.
During the event, EPA Regional Administrator Michael Martucci, Rep. Donald Norcross, Mayor of Camden Victor G. Carstarphen, Camden County Board of Commissioners Director Jeff Nash, and other officials celebrated progress and laid out planned cleanup activities and opportunities for continued community involvement. The work will advance Camden redevelopment efforts, support healthier neighborhoods, and create opportunities for economic growth.
“This site was for decades a terrible eyesore and posed a serious health hazard for nearby residents. Thanks to the collaboration of all levels of government, today this site is ready for the final phase of cleanup needed to return it to the community as a site that can be used productively and to the community’s advantage,” said EPA Regional Administrator Michael Martucci. “EPA has long been a partner in this endeavor and others across Camden and our Brownfields program is now set to provide the funding needed for this final phase that we celebrate today,”
“Leaving things in a better place than how you found them is a good rule to live by. Camden has benefitted greatly during my lifetime by leaders following that principle, and the team effort to earn this substantial funding for environmental cleanup is just the latest example,” Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) said. “I’m proud to have advocated for this project since day one, and I’m even prouder to be part of the group of people making such a big difference for Camden.”
“We are delighted to announce the $2.5 million U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant award which will aid in the cleanup of underground contamination and advance the ongoing redevelopment at the S. Yaffa & Sons/Weyhill site,” said Camden Mayor Victor G. Carstarphen. “In just five years, this location has been transformed from a nuisance property to an opportunity for community growth. The cleanup of the site has already spurred in new public-private investments throughout this area. We are grateful to Congressman Donald Norcross and EPA for this critical funding to improve the quality of life in Camden.”
The $2.5 million EPA Brownfields grant will fund cleanup activities, such as cleanup of the Former S. Yaffa & Sons facility, which has a history of automotive repair and illegal dumping. The grant will also support community engagement.
EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and, once these grants are awarded, will have provided over $3 billion in grant funding to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. To date, brownfields investments leveraged more than $45 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. Over the years, the relatively small investment of federal funding was able to leverage, from both public and private sources, more than 228,900 jobs. Through fiscal year 2025, on average, $19.47 was leveraged for each EPA Brownfields Grant dollar awarded through multipurpose, assessment, revolving loan fund and cleanup cooperative agreements.
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