• GEMS LANDFILL, CAMDEN County, NJ

Stage of Clean-up: Construction Completed

Conditions at listing (July 1982): The Gloucester Environmental Management Services (GEMS) Landfill covers 60 acres in Gloucester Township, Camden County, New Jersey. The landfill is now closed. The land is owned by the township and was leased to GEMS. Although the site is zoned for industrial purposes, the surrounding land is principally residential. Organic solvents and other industrial chemicals were dumped into pits at the landfill between 1970 and 1974. These chemicals are presently contaminating ground water, surface water, and air. About 38,000 people live within 3 miles of the site; many are dependent on private wells. Leachate from the site is also contaminating Holly Run Stream and Briar Lake. Status (July 1983): In February 1983, using $270,000 in CERCLA emergency funds, EPA removed debris from the site, constructed a fence, and took other measures to prevent the wastes from coming in contact with residents in the area. In summer 1983, EPA plans to start a $125,000 remedial investigation to determine the type and extent of contamination at the site.

Sources of Contamination:

• Dumping - unauthorized
• Landfill

Groundwater, surface waters and sediments are contaminated with VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (VOCS) and HEAVY METALS including ARSENIC, BARIUM and LEAD. VOCS and HEAVY METALS have also been detected in offsite surface soils. Leachate from the site contains VOCS, HEAVY METALS and trace amounts of pesticides including DDE, DDD and DDT. This leachate migrates into and constitutes a significant percentage of the flow in the Holly Run Stream. Potential health risks may exist for individuals who make direct contact with or ingest contaminated groundwater, surface waters, or soils.

Contaminants Detected
	Ground Water	Surface Water	Air	Soil	Other
1,1,1-TRICHLOROETHANE	X	X
1,1-DICHLOROETHYLENE	X	X
1,2-DICHLOROETHANE					X
BENZENE	X	X	X
CARBON TETRACHLORIDE	X	X
CHLOROFORM	X	X
DICHLOROMETHANE					X
NAPHTHALENE					X
TOLUENE	X
TRICHLOROETHYLENE					X

Groundwater and Drinking Water
Were drinking water wells shut down due to contamination?	Yes
Population served by the wells now shut down:	25 - 100
Are drinking water wells potentially threatened?	Yes
Population served by the threatened wells:	No data
Aquifer discharges into:	A sensitive ecological environment
	Surface water
Population served by water wells in the aquifer:	No data

List ground water uses.

EPA Hazard Ranking System scores for GEMS LANDFILL:

Less Hazard

National Average

More Hazard

0%					50%					100%

Overall site:

Surface water migration:

Ground water migration:

Air migration:

Rank Superfund sites in the U.S., NEW JERSEY, or in CAMDEN County by EPA Hazard Ranking Scores.

*Note: EPA's Hazard Ranking System is designed to screen and prioritize sites for the Superfund program, based on limited data available at time of listing. These scores are not based on a comprehensive risk assessment of the site and do not reflect conditions after initiation of cleanup work.

Number of PRPs currently associated with this site:	79
Hazardous waste received from off-site generators/transporters?	Yes
Number of owners/operators which are also municipalities:	1

EPA Site Information

• NPL Fact Sheet
• Government Accounting Office (GAO) assessment
• Record of Decision (ROD) Abstracts
• NPL Site 5 Year Reviews
• Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Information System (CERCLIS) Hazardous Waste Site Information
• Superfund Hazardous Waste Site Advanced Query Form

Scorecard reports for CAMDEN County on:

• Potential Sources of Land Contamination
• Criteria Air Pollutants
• Hazardous Air Pollutants