The refinery was shut down in 1980 and the EPA designated it as a Superfund site in 1991 due to the discovery of toxic chemicals in the soil and the surface water.
The township held a copper mine and was responsible for helping create the steam engines.
It was then bought in 1701 by Sandford's friend, Mayor Nathaniel Kingsland, who then sold the land to Captain Arent Schuyler.
Schuyler opened up a copper mine in the area, and was able to create the first steam engine in America.
The state of New Jersey issued a site assessment in May 2001 to investigate the extent of the damages and pollution at Diamond Head Oil Refinery.
The contaminants include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semiVOCs and heavy metals, and are present at levels of potential health concern.
In 2009, a Feasibility Study was performed to discuss different clean up options for the waste at the site.
[2] The Diamond Head Oil Refinery has about three different kinds of dangerous chemicals polluting the area around it.
PCBs were originally produced to be used as insulation, coolants, and lubricants for a variety of electrical equipment.
These compounds are released from burning fuel and are also emitted from oil fields and diesel exhaust.