Backhoes dug out soil contaminated with cancer-causing PCBs, dumped decades ago at the Cornell-Dubilier Superfund site in South Plainfield. Groundwater from the old factory polluted Bound Brook, and this last phase of cleanup will tackle three miles of the toxic waterway, paid for in part by another chunk of funding from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, $152 million awarded on Friday.

“The work we’re focused on today to address the impact to wetlands along the Bound Brook, and critically the brook itself, includes removal of miles of contaminated sediments and soils, and represents one of the largest waterway cleanups the state of New Jersey Superfund has ever proposed,” said Deputy DEP Commissioner Sean Moriarty.

Cornell-Dubilier is one of three New Jersey sites recently awarded funds. The others are Matteo & Sons site in West Deptford and the Mansfield Trail dump in Byram. They are among 22 national Superfund sites that will share $1 billion in federal money, often because no other funding is available.