Wildfire By Ex-Chemical Plant Raises Health Concerns In South Jersey

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, NJ — Federal environmental officials are assessing a wildfire in Gloucester County, which continued burning Wednesday in an area with potentially hazardous chemicals.

The 6-acre fire began burning Saturday afternoon in the woods behind Coles Mill Road in Franklin Township, officials said. It was contained later that day but continues to produce smoke as of Wednesday.

The fire is in the Pioneer Metal Finishing Inc. Superfund Site, according to the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection (EPA). The EPA designates Superfund sites in areas requiring heavy cleanup for environmental contamination.

The former electroplating plant discharged waste into nearby waters for about 20 years, the EPA says.

Unhealthy air quality was detected Tuesday around nearby homes, officials said. However, it's unclear whether the issues arose from the smoke traveling into a residential area or whether any harmful chemicals have burned.

The EPA is on-site, partially to make that determination, an EPA spokesperson told Patch around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.

"The agency will be initiating air monitoring to assess the incident’s potential impact on public health," said Elías Rodríguez, an EPA regional spokesperson.

On Tuesday, unhealthy air quality was detected at a few homes near the wildfire. The impacted residents received guidance on the situation, police said.

No additional risk to the public has been detected as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the Franklin Township Police Department.

"A meeting was just concluded with the Environmental Protection Agency and the guidance that they are providing is that there is no additional risk to the public at this time," the agency said in a statement.

Officials continue to monitor air quality at Delsea Regional High School and Middle School, which are both a mile or two from the fire. No abnormal levels have been detected as of Wednesday afternoon, so the schools have continued their normal courses of operations.

Call 911 if you experience any health issues related to the smoke, police said.

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service contained the wildfire and continues to extinguish hot spots, an agency spokesperson told Patch on Wednesday morning.

Pioneer discharged untreated waste from the Franklin Township facility from the 1950s until the mid-to-late 1970s, according to the EPA. The wastes — including metallic salts, untreated process sludge, rinse water and cleaning solutions — were discharged into a trench that led to wetlands.

Electroplating activities ended in 2005, and the facility is currently used for powder-coating operations, the EPA says.