Former Superfund Site In Gloucester Township Now Solar Park

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — Local, county and business leaders cut the ribbon on a former Superfund site turned solar park in Gloucester Township on Monday.

The new facility is located at the intersection of Hickstown and New Brooklyn-Erial roads, a Gloucester Township press release said.

The facility sits on the same site as the former GEMS Landfill, which was the first Superfund site in the United States when it received that designation in 1983, the press release and Environmental Protection Agency said.

The majority of the GEMS Landfill site’s cleanup activities were completed in 2004 and long-term cleanup and maintenance have been ongoing since then, the EPA continued.

The new solar park will yield an estimated 6,086,000 kilowatt-hours (the equivalent of about 135,240 light bulbs that are 45 kilowatt-hours) of clean zero-emissions power annually to Atlantic City Electric customers annually by 2047, the township said.

In other words, the clean energy produced at the GEMS Solar Park will annually offset
4,313 metric tons of carbon dioxide, according to the township. This is the same amount of emissions a "typical passenger vehicle" produces from being driven 10,839,527 miles or from burning 4,767,134 pounds of coal, according to the township.

"This project adds to Gloucester Township’s clean energy portfolio, making it one of the most sustainable communities in America, said Ben Parvey, CEO of Blue Sky Power, a consultant on the project.

The new solar park is interconnected through Atlantic City Electric and will provide power to the PJM energy company's wholesale market, the press release said.

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