Federal environmental officials reached a $21 million settlement late Monday with Ford Motor Co. and Ringwood on a controversial cleanup of the borough's sprawling Superfund site that will leave tons of polluted soil in place under a barrier.

The agreement filed in U.S. District Court is another step toward affirming a plan that would keep 166,000 tons of contaminated soil at the O'Connor Disposal Area despite the objections of residents who live nearby, including many members of the Ramapough Lenape tribe.

"The fight is not over," Vincent Mann, chief of the Ramapough's Turtle Clan, said of the settlement. "We are going to try everything we can to stop this, because that pollution is going to sit there forever and affect our people, the land, the plants and the animals."

The pollution dates back a half-century to when contractors for Ford Motor Co. began taking toxic paint sludge from its Mahwah factory and dumping it in the forests and old iron mines of Upper Ringwood next to a low-income neighborhood. At the time, Ringwood officials gave permission to Ford, which is why the borough is also on the hook for the cleanup.

The site has been mismanaged in the past. The EPA declared it clean and removed it from the Superfund list only to reinstate it after a series last decade by The Record showed paint sludge was still strewn across the forested mountains of Ringwood.

Tons of contaminated material has since been excavated from the site.

But the EPA had originally planned to have Ford and the borough pay $32.6 million to remove the contamination at O'Connor, off Peters Mine Road. But at the last minute, Ringwood officials introduced plans to build a new recycling center — paid for by Ford — on an asphalt barrier atop O'Connor.

The move lowered the cleanup's cost by $27.2 million to $5.4 million, drawing both outrage from many who want the pollution removed and support from some residents who fear that a costly cleanup would significantly raise their property taxes. Story continues below gallery

EPA officials have said they have no control over local land use and have little choice but to allow the recycling center to be built despite originally calling for excavation. They said the barrier would be protective of human health.

The $21 million settlement would also pay to cap Cannon Mine and Peters Mine at the site where Ford contractors dumped waste. In addition, contaminated soil and other material will be removed from around the opening of the pit near Peters Mine.

Although high levels of lead, benzene and arsenic have long contaminated the 500-acre site, it wasn't until spring 2015 that scientists found a new chemical that made them pause in their plans to cap. It was 1,4-dioxane, a colorless solvent that health officials believe causes cancer.

Subsequent tests over the next 18 months found high amounts of 1,4-dioxane in the groundwater and brooks that run from the Ringwood Superfund site to the northern reaches of the Wanaque Reservoir. The chemical has not been detected in the reservoir.

The chemical's discovery prompted some residents to push for a question on the 2016 municipal ballot about the cleanup, in an attempt to overturn the borough's decision on the recycling center. But a state judge ruled against supporters of the measure.

In a news release issued late Monday, EPA officials said they expect to propose a long-term plan to address groundwater contamination, including 1,4-dioxane, later this year.

Under the terms of Monday's settlement, Ford and the borough will pay an estimated $17.6 million for site work and $3.6 million to reimburse the EPA for "past costs at the site."

“This important agreement ensures that the responsible parties will perform the work needed to address contamination at Ringwood Mines,” EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez said in a statement.

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Lopez also said the EPA "appreciates the dedication and passion of the community members and the members of the Community Advisory Group, whose active engagement on this site has greatly informed our work.”

Mann said the concerns of his people and many others in the community have fallen on deaf ears.

Longtime resident Vivian Milligan dropped to her knees during a 2016 community meeting and pleaded with EPA officials to excavate O'Connor.

Mann said he has tried twice to request a meeting this year with the state Attorney General's Office because Gov. Phil Murphy has spoken passionately about supporting environmental justice initiatives.

No meeting has been scheduled, Mann said Monday.

"I don't expect there will be one after this," he said.