American Cyanamid

THIS CHEMICAL company's record-setting activities included the nation's largest corporate contribution to a superfund site cleanup, above-average toxic waste releases, and the largest fine for an air permit violation in New York state. This last record earned the company its number 93 spot in Corporate Crime Reporter's Top 100 Corporate Criminals of the 1990s.

Named for a derivative of a toxic chemical used in pesticides, calcium cyanamide, American Cyanamid manufactured dyes, paints, pharmaceuticals, and other chemicals. In 1929, the company bought Lederle Laboratories, which was already operating a manufacturing plant in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey. Much of the 575-acre site, which sits atop New Jersey's second largest aquifer, became contaminated with chromium, lead, mercury, benzene and toluene, as wastes generated by manufacturing were simply dumped on ...