www.bellmawrwaterfront.com Bellmawr Redevelopment Newsletter Volume 4, Winter 2008 REMEDIAL INVESTIGA-

REMEDIAL INVESTIGATION STAGE NEARS COMPLETION Gary Brown, President of RT REMEDIAL INVESTIGATION Environmental Services, Inc. STAGE NEARS COMPLETION (RT), and Glennon Graham, Jr., Project Geologist recently announced that the remedial investigation stage of the Bellmawr Waterfront Development (BWD) is nearing completion. Comments were received on the Remedial Investigation Report from the Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), and, as a result of discussions between DEP and BWD officials, several enhancements will be added to the Landfill Closure Plan. A deep well installed to the east of the site, beneath a shallow aquiclude, and screened within the Englishtown , shows that lead concentrations in groundwater meet the NJDEP’s most stringent groundwater quality standards. As lead is a “key indicator” for older landfills, due to its ubiquitous presence in consumer wastes, this well demonstrates that the historic landfill activities conducted over several decades, terminating before 1980 have had no significant effect on groundwater aquifer supplies. Groundwater in the area is actually drawn from a deeper aquifer, the Potomac Raritan Magothy (PRM) aquifer, and another layer of clay separates the Englishtown Sand from the PRM.

Enhancements to the Closure Plan for the site include:

• More extensive capping in the Bellmawr Fazzio Landfill area where the largest volume of waste was historically placed. _space

RT ENVIRONMENTAL “Trucks arriving with landfill materials are inspected and weighed”

• Installation of an upgradient shallow groundwater cutoff wall and underdrain to divert shallow groundwater from flowing into the deposited waste mass.

• Installation of a driven sheet pile wall behind which compacted clay will be placed in the former Fazzio Deptford Landfill Area. In this location, waste was found to be present very close to Big Timber Creek and installation of these additional measures will prevent potential future leachate seepage and/or waste washout.

• A “ditch area” near I-295 will be filled and capped in coordination with the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT). A section of new storm drain will be installed along I-295, and the area appropriately graded. This area of the project is one of the oldest sections of the landfills, dating back to the 1950’s. PCBs and lead contaminants of concern were found to be present in close proximity to the tidal waterway, and it is important to properly cap and close the area at the time of overall site remediation as tidal water levels would otherwise have the potential to increase contaminant mobility due to tidal flushing action.

The NJDEP has also requested more in-depth evaluation of as forested wetlands along Big Timber Creek and Beaver Brook will, to the maximum degree possible, remain undisturbed. Where wetlands disturbance cannot be avoided, appropriate permits will be obtained and the wetland mitigation/restoration process followed. Plans for the landfill closure along with appropriate permit applications are expected to be submitted to the NJDEP shortly. Remedial activities are expected to commence at the site during 2008.

SOIL REUSE PROGRAM CONTINUES Following approvals from state, local and county officials, soil reuse activities to facilitate re-grading of the site as part of remediation commenced in Spring 2007. Soil materials which meet applicable BWD Site Specific Standards are used for site re-grading as extensive re-grading of the site is necessary prior to capping. The reason for this is that many sections of the former landfills did not have proper grading prior to closure, and, proper covering and re-grading promotes runoff and reduces leachate generation. Leachate is contaminated liquid that has been in contact with waste. _space To facilitate smooth traffic flow and minimize any inconvenience to residents RT ENVIRONMENTAL

2 or area drivers, BWD in late summer added a second scale, as NJDEP requires each load of soil scheduled for reuse to be weighed. The soil reuse project at the BWD site is projected to continue over the next few construction seasons. It should be noted that although traffic is congested during peak rush hours on Routes 295/42/76 in the vicinity of the site, trucks bringing soil for reuse to the site have minimal or no impact on rush hour conditions as materials received are spread throughout the day and are not concentrated during peak hour traffic times.

FINAL REMEDIATION PLAN FORMULATED FOR THE SITE As indicated in the lead article, the BWD site investigation stage is nearing completion under NJDEP oversight. The Remediation Program to be implemented will address the environmental conditions at the three former landfills to meet the requirements of New Jersey’s Solid Waste Landfill Closure Regulations, and the DEP Site Remediation Program. Data obtained to date indicate that no groundwater or surface water remediation is needed, but a series of “presumptive remedies” needed at the site will assure:

• Proper landfill closure. • Elimination of the potential for direct contact with waste materials or impacted soil. • Minimization of the future potential for landfill leachate to impact surface water or groundwater. • Measures for the safe venting of landfill gases, Landfill cross sections layout plan • Providing overall closure performance and remediation so that there is no significant future impact to human health or the environment.

Cementitious cap materials, manufactured in New Jersey, will be used for capping. Excess materials from harbors are treated to make a structurally sound, low permeability material. The materials, to which Portland _space Cement is added, provide a low permeability cap and a firm base for RT ENVIRONMENTAL

2 3 future redevelopment construction. Already, cementitious material has been used as firm base for riverfront development projects in Hudson County and for landfill capping projects in Bergen County. Although costs are higher for treating harbor materials with Portland Cement, the resulting cementitious material is perfect for use as a landfill cap, and has been approved by the NJDEP at other sites. The remedial action at the BWD site will also be enhanced through installation of a sheet pile wall along a portion of Big Timber Creek, where waste materials were found to be close to the Creek. The sheet pile wall will be lined with cementitious low permeability material as well. NJDEP has also requested that the area to be capped be expanded at the former Bellmawr Fazzio Landfill so that the new cap ties in with a previously installed vertical clay cutoff wall, which was built in the 1970s. This cutoff wall has been found to be intact and the expanded area to be capped will result in a larger reduction leachate in the Fazzio Bellmawr Landfill Unit.

Finally, an area where a remnant excavation associated with historic I-295 construction is planned to be properly backfilled to eliminate tidal influence on the waste mass in the former Dewey Blanton Landfill area. The additional measures are considered enhancements to the planned remedial action alternative at the site, which is scheduled to be implemented starting in 2008.

Watch the Borough of Bellmawr or Bellmawr Waterfront Development webpage for more information on the final public meeting on the project, which will be focused on final remedy selection.

PUBLIC RIVER ACCESS In 2008, attention will be paid to public access elements of the Bellmawr Waterfront Development project. A low impact marina, as well as perimeter walking trail will provide highly impressive views of a virtually pristine area of Big Timber Creek, which views most South Jersey and Delaware Valley residents have never seen. The area of the tidal Big Timber Creek estuary between the I-295, , and North-South freeway is both _space

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4 “Wet lands alive, well and thriving”

meandering and pristine, and based on early input from environmental groups, forested wetlands immediately along the Creek are being left untouched to provide ongoing habitat, water quality filtration, as well as other natural resource benefits. More information will become available on the timeframe and details of public access improvements as Phase I redevelopment plans are put forth in the first half of 2008.

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