Updated Cleanup Plan Proposed For Superfund Site In Galloway: EPA

GALLOWAY, NJ — Members of the public are invited to comment on a proposed draft update to the 2008 cleanup plan for the Emmell’s Septic Landfill Superfund Site in Galloway, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Tuesday.

Based on scientific study and new information, EPA is updating its cleanup plan to address soil contamination at the site that continues to impact groundwater quality, the agency said in a news release.

“The EPA encourages people to provide input on its proposal to use several cleanup methods at the Superfund site to further protect the Galloway Township community,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “This updated plan will allow us to effectively tackle the remaining sources of pollution in the soil and ensure the continued protection of the local community.”

The proposed update to the cleanup plan includes several key steps. The EPA will remove soil down to five feet and dispose of soil with elevated levels of contamination at a licensed facility off-site. For the remaining deeper soil, which is contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the EPA will use treatments that either bind or break down the contaminants and help prevent the contamination from moving off-site. After treatment, the excavated area will be filled with clean soil and replanted.

Additionally, the cleanup update proposes to eliminate the installation of specialized wells that were required under the original cleanup. These wells, called biosparging wells, were designed to inject air into the groundwater, aiding naturally occurring bacteria in breaking down vinyl chloride, a harmful contaminant. However, recent sampling shows that vinyl chloride levels have decreased naturally and because of other remediation efforts at the site, making the biosparging wells unnecessary.

The Emmell’s Septic Landfill Superfund Site, located at 128 Zurich Ave., stretches about 38 acres. It was in operation as a landfill between 1967 through 1979, managing septic and sewage sludge that was placed into lagoons and trenches, according to EPA documents.

The operators of the landfill disposed of both chemical and solid waste, including household garbage, construction debris drums filled with paint sludges, and gas cylinders, according to the EPA. In the early site cleanup stages, the EPA removed 438 drums of paint sludge, 11 gas cylinders, and 28,046 cubic yards of soil, and disposed of everything at off-site landfills.

The EPA completed a study in 2003 to determine if treatment of contaminated groundwater was needed. The agency found site-related, or VOCs contamination, including trichloroethylene, vinyl chloride, and 1,2 dichloroethane. Residents within four miles of the site use the groundwater for drinking.

The 30-day public comment period begins on July 30, 2024. EPA will host a virtual public meeting on Aug. 7, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. to discuss the proposed plan, which will not be finalized until the agency considers public comments. You can register for the meeting by signing up at this link.

Written comments on the proposed plan may be submitted to Joseph Gowers, Remedial Project Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 290 Broadway – 19th Floor, New York, NY 10007 or via email: gowers.joe@epa.gov.

For additional background and to see the proposed cleanup plan, visit the Emmell’s Septic Landfill Superfund site profile page.