U.S. EPA proposes updated plan for New Jersey Superfund Site

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public input on a proposed draft update to the 2008 cleanup plan for the Emmell’s Septic Landfill Superfund Site in Galloway Township, New Jersey.

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

The 30-day public comment period begins on July 30, 2024. The EPA will host a virtual public meeting on August 7, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. to discuss the proposed plan, which will not be finalized until the agency considers public comments.

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 biosparging wells unnecessary.

This updated plan builds on earlier efforts by the EPA to control groundwater contamination at the site, including the construction of a groundwater pump and treatment system completed in 2010, followed by an expansion of the system in 2012.

In 2017, the EPA further refined its cleanup plan by replacing drinking water wells that had been impacted by site-related contamination, and this project was completed in 2022.