New Jersey’s history is deeply intertwined with industry. From the manufacturing centers that fueled economic growth along its rivers, railroads, and ports to the innovation that helped shape modern America, industry has long been a defining feature of the Garden State. At the same time, decades of industrial activity left behind significant environmental challenges that continue to require investigation, remediation, and redevelopment.
Our Story Map, A Brief History of New Jersey Industrialism and Environmental Remediation, explores this evolution and highlights how the state’s industrial past has influenced the landscape we know today.
As environmental regulations expanded and awareness of legacy contamination increased, a new chapter began. Across New Jersey and neighboring states, environmental professionals, engineers, scientists, regulators, and community stakeholders have worked to investigate enviromentally compromised properties, restore impacted resources, and help communities safely redevelop former industrial sites.
For more than three decades, our firm has been proud to be part of that effort.
Through our work on more than 5,000 environmental projects throughout New Jersey and the surrounding region, we have helped public and private sector clients navigate complex environmental challenges and transform impacted properties into opportunities for future growth. Our experience spans a broad range of environmental services, including:
- Environmental site assessments and due diligence
- Contaminated site investigation and remediation
- Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) services
- Brownfield redevelopment support
- Groundwater and soil remediation
- Ecological and natural resource assessments
- Regulatory compliance and permitting
- Environmental monitoring and risk management
- Site redevelopment planning and environmental consulting
The projects featured throughout New Jersey’s environmental history reflect a broader story of progress. Former industrial properties that once posed environmental concerns are now being restored, redeveloped, and reimagined for new uses. Waterfronts have been revitalized, brownfields returned to productive use, and communities provided with safer and healthier environments.
The work is far from over. As New Jersey continues to address emerging environmental challenges, climate resilience concerns, aging infrastructure, and environmental justice priorities, the need for innovative and practical remediation solutions remains as important as ever. The lessons learned from the state’s industrial past continue to inform the work being done today.
At Dresdner Robin, we are proud to contribute to that ongoing transformation. Every investigation completed, remediation implemented, and redevelopment project supported represents another step toward restoring environmental resources and creating sustainable opportunities for future generations.
We invite you to explore the Story Map below to learn more about New Jersey’s industrial heritage, the environmental challenges that emerged from that legacy, and the remediation efforts that continue to shape the state’s future. Through historic perspectives, interactive mapping, and real-world examples, the Story Map illustrates how environmental stewardship and economic development can work together to create lasting positive change.
Explore the Story Map below and discover how New Jersey’s industrial past continues to guide the environmental solutions of tomorrow.
If you have issues viewing the embedded Story Map below, click here to view in a new window.
References:
- A Geography of New Jersey: The City in the Garden – Charles A. Stansfield
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection – https://dep.nj.gov/
- New Jersey Geographic Information Network – https://njgin.nj.gov/
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – https://www.epa.gov/
- “The Birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior The Birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution – Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service)