GEMS LANDFIL NEW JERSEY EPA ID# NJD980529192 EPA REGION 2 CONGRESSIONAL DIST. 01 Camden County Gloucester Township Other Names: Amadei Landfill Gloucester Environmental Management Services, Inc. (GEMS) Landfill Site Description The approximately 60-acre GEMS Landfill site has been owned by Gloucester Township from at least the late 1950s to the present. During that time, the landfill has been operated by various parties as a disposal site for solid, liquid, and hazardous wastes and substances. Records indicate that a variety of industrial wastes including asbestos, solvents, and other materials were disposed of at the GEMS site between 1970 and 1979. In 1980, sludge from the City of Philadelphia's northeast wastewater treatment facility was disposed of at the site. Analyses of the sludge revealed the presence of pesticides. The State closed the landfill in 1980. Scattered industrial and recreational areas are adjacent to the site. The closest residences are approximately 300 feet from the base of the landfill. Approximately 6,000 people live within a mile of the site, and 38,000 people live within a 3-mile radius. Holly Run borders the eastern edge of the site and flows into Briar Lake off the northeast corner of the site. Site Responsibility: This site is being addressed through Federal, State, and potentially responsible parties' actions. NPL LISTING HISTORY Proposed Date: 07/01/82 Final Date: 09/01/83 Threats and Contaminants The site is contaminated with VOCs, heavy metals and trace amounts of pesticides including DDE, DDD and DDT. The ground water beneath and near the site is also contaminated with organics and inorganics from the site. 1 March 2002 ------- Cleanup Approach This site is being addressed in three stages: immediate actions and a long-term remedial stage comprised of two phases focusing on cleanup of the entire site. Response Action Status Immediate Actions: In 1983, EPA removed debris from the site and constructed a partial fence and two culverts and a berm to prevent residents from coming in contact with wastes in the area and control drainage from the site. Entire Site: In 1985, EPA selected the following remedy to clean up the site: (1) i constructing a landfill cap and regrading existing landfill side slopes; (2) installing an active gas collection and treatment system, a groundwater/leachate treatment system, and surface water controls; (3) implementing a monitoring program; and (4) relocating and isolating Holly Run and installing limited runoff controls. In addition, potentially affected homes have been connected to the existing public water supply system. Site Facts: In 1980, the State of New Jersey initiated litigation in State Court which was subsequently moved to Federal District Court in 1984. This action sought recovery of the State's past response costs and performance of work at the site. In September 1992, the United States Department of Justice, on behalf of EPA, filed a civil action against nine defendants pursuant to the Superfund law. By this action, EPA sought to recover certain costs incurred by the United States in response to the release and/or threat of release of hazardous substances at the site. Including third party defendants, the State action involved some 300 parties including the nine sued by the United States. In November 1992, the two actions were consolidated, and extensive settlement discussions were commenced resulting in a global consent decree settlement which was completed in fall 1996. The Consent Decree document was entered in Federal Court on June 27, 1997. Cleanup Progress =^= (Actual Construction Underway) Phase I activities, consisting of all of the remedial measures identified above with the exception of the groundwater/leachate treatment system, were completed in August 1994. The final engineering design for Phase II, consisting of construction of an on-site groundwater/leachate pre-treatment facility with discharge to the local POTW, and extensive groundwater and vegetative monitoring programs, was completed by the potentially responsible parties in February 1998. Construction of the groundwater/leachate treatment system was begun in July 1998 and is scheduled to be completed in early 2002. A three month surface water trial will begin in April 2002 which will provide data to evaluate the final method of treated water discharge. Startup is also anticipated to begin in the summer of 2002. March 2002 GEMS LANDFILL ------- Information Repositories Site-related documents are available for review at the following information repository location: Glouchester Township Municipal Building 1261 Chews Landing Road Chews Landing, Glouchester Township, New Jersey (609) 228-4000, ext. 236 Building Hours: Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m. - 5:45 p.m. GEMS LANDFILL 3 March 2002 ------- |