EPA Entering 4th Phase Of Cinnaminson Superfund Site Cleanup

CINNAMINSON, NJ — The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is entering the final phase of the cleanup of a Superfund site in which several contaminants were discovered in the early 1980s. The site covers about 400 acres of land in Cinnaminson and Delran, according to the EPA.

The cleanup focuses on properties bounded by Union Landing Road, U.S. Route 130, River Road, and Taylors Lane, as well as "properties outside these boundaries where contaminants may have migrated or threaten to migrate."

Groundwater contamination was discovered by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) through the review of groundwater monitoring data collected as part of the closure plan for the landfills in the early 1980s, according to the EPA. Contaminants including vinyl chloride, 1, 2- dichloroethane, PCE, TCE, cis-1, 2-dichloroethene (cis-1, 2-DCE), benzene and arsenic were found in the groundwater, soil and soil vapor.

The SLI Landfills, Messer LLC (formerly Linde LLC and BOC Gases) and Detrex Corporation properties are the primary identified sources of the groundwater contamination, according to the EPA.

The plans the EPA announced on Thursday targets highly concentrated parts of the contaminated groundwater near these areas. They intend to use a pump-and-treat remedy.

The EPA will then restrict the use of groundwater from the site. It will then institute long-term monitoring to prevent and reduce human exposure to contaminated groundwater until the cleanup goals are met. It will then collect groundwater samples to analyze and verify that the level and extent of contaminants are declining.

“EPA has protected local residents by selecting remedies that call for installation of vapor recovery systems at impacted properties, a groundwater pump and treatment system and landfill caps and will continue its important work of protecting human health and the environment,” EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez said.

Because of the nature and complexity of the contamination at the Cinnaminson Groundwater Contamination Superfund Site, the investigations and cleanup of the site have been conducted in four phases, according to the EPA.

The plans released on Thursday cover the fourth phase, which addresses groundwater contamination outside of areas already under remediation or the first three phases of the plan.

As part of the first phase of the project, EPA operated a groundwater remediation system from 2000-2013. EPA then shut down the system for two years, and is currently evaluating the results of that shutdown. The analysis of the clay cap discovered that it and other previous actions taken in response to the contamination have eliminated existing or potential risks to human health and the environment, and that no further action is needed for this phase of the project.

For the third phase, EPA installed vapor mitigations in homes in two nearby residential areas in 2010 that remain in place. An ongoing investigation into the nature and extent of vapor intrusion into these areas is also ongoing. Independent Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Studies (RI/FS) are currently underway for the third and fourth phases of the project.

Vinyl chloride is a colorless, man made contaminant predominantly used to make a variety of plastic products. 1, 2- dichloroethane, or ethylene dichloride, is used to make vinyl chloride.

TCE and PCE are man-made chemicals and were used often in manufacturing. TCE is a nonflammable colorless liquid. It was used as a solvent to remove grease from metal parts. It is also found in adhesives, paint removers, and spot removers. PCE is a nonflammable liquid. It is used frequently in dry cleaning and to remove grease. It is also referred to as perchloroethylene or PERC.

1, 2-Dichloroethene, also called 1, 2-dichloroethylene, is a highly flammable, colorless liquid with a sharp, harsh odor used to produce solvents in chemical mixtures.

Benzene is a natural, colorless odorless chemical used to make plastics, lubricants, rubbers, dyes, detergents, drugs, and pesticides

Arsenic is a naturally occurring element that is widely distributed in the Earth's crust. It is found in water, air, food, and soil.

There will be a 30-day public comment on the plan from Sept. 17 to Oct. 16, including a virtual public meeting on the plan at 6 p.m. Oct. 1.

To register for the public meeting, visit https://cinnaminson-superfund.eventbrite.com.

To learn more about the public meeting, visit www.epa.gov/superfund/cinnaminson or contact Natalie Loney at
loney.natalie@epa.gov or 212-637-3639.

Written comments on EPA’s proposed plan may be mailed or emailed to Alida Karas, Remedial Project Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 290 Broadway, 19th Floor, New York, New York 10007-1866 or karas.alida@epa.gov. Comments postmarked on or before Oct. 16 will be accepted.

See related:
EPA Cleaning Up 400-Acre Superfund Site In Cinnaminson, Delran
EPA Granted Access To Cinnaminson Superfund Site