GEMS a Topic of Discussion Yet Again

For the second time in as many meetings, the public portion at Monday night's Township Council meeting was dominated by talk of the Gloucester Environmental Management Services, or GEMS, landfill.

Only the talk at this week's meeting was focused on development prospects for the Superfund site, not the new township trustee and the process by which that trustee was appointed.

Council is expected to vote at its meeting this Monday night to authorize the Planning Board to appoint its professionals to conduct preliminary investigation into the township-owned GEMS property.

The investigation would determine whether the process should be initiated to have the property declared an area fit for redevelopment, officials said.

Council President Glen Bianchini, in reply to a question by Planning Board member and 2011 Republican Council candidate Linda Musser, indicated it's possible investigation will show only certain areas of the property will be deemed fit.

"I think that the purpose of this (resoltution) is the study—to see what is the best use for that property," he said. "We're looking more from a solar angle. There are a lot of parts of that land that would not interfere with the GEMS landfill."

The federal Environmental Protection Agency and state Department of Environmental Protection would have to sign off on any future development on the GEMS property, Solicitor David Carlamere said.

Officials did not have an answer for Musser when she asked how much the preliminary investigation would cost.

"I don't have that number," Bianchini said. "But this is going to the Planning Board to ask them to do an investigation for their governing body to find out if this is an appropriate place to redevelop."

Carlamere noted the four GEMS trustees have "changed gears" on the idea of a solar farm being erected on the property.

"They said they would entertain it so long as the design of the solar panel base will not pierce the (landfill's) cap," he said.

Erial resident Ray Polidoro, chairman of the local Republican committee, contended that a solar farm will not be profitable to the township at this point.

"We had an opportunity some years ago under a previous administration to do that while it was worthwhile—we could sell that surplus energy back," he said. "As we know now, it really has no value other than to save where a particular building or a particular school is getting solar may reduce its cost."

Officials noted the solar farm could be operated by a private entity, as will be the case at the former Owens Corning property on Somerdale Road—also a Superfund site.