NEWFIELD, N.J. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed relying on natural processes, along with long-term monitoring and restrictions on new wells, to address perchlorate contamination in groundwater at the Shieldalloy Corp. Superfund site in Newfield, Gloucester County.
The contamination also affects groundwater in neighboring Vineland, the agency said. EPA is taking public comments on the proposal through Dec. 11 and will hold a virtual public meeting at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 19.
“We are pleased to present a plan that is protective of human health and the environment while being the most efficient option for addressing groundwater contamination,” said Michael Martucci, administrator of EPA Region 2.
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Under the proposal, EPA would count on biodegradation, dilution and dispersion to reduce perchlorate levels over time, while monitoring groundwater to confirm the approach is working. The plan would also bar installation of private drinking water wells that draw from the contaminated aquifer at the site.
Homes and businesses near the site are connected to public water systems, which are tested under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, according to EPA.
Perchlorates are colorless, odorless chemical compounds that were used in operations at the plant, the agency said.
The 67-acre site is where Shieldalloy Metallurgical Corp. made chromium alloy and other specialty products from 1955 to 2006. The company discharged industrial wastewater into lagoons and surface water, according to EPA. The site includes the Hudson Branch, an intermittent stream that flows into Burnt Mill Pond, and a 19.8-acre farm parcel the company bought for earlier cleanup work.
Earlier work at the site removed contaminated soil, and cleanup of other groundwater contaminants, including hexavalent chromium and volatile organic compounds, is continuing. The new proposal deals only with perchlorates.
Written comments may be mailed to William Friedmann, Remedial Project Manager, EPA, 290 Broadway, New York, NY 10007, postmarked by Dec. 9, or emailed to friedmann.william@epa.gov. Registration for the Nov. 19 meeting is available through EPA’s registration page, and site documents are posted on the Shieldalloy Superfund site profile.
This report is based on a press release from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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