Matlack, Inc.

Overview

The Matlack, Inc. site is a 79-acre former truck and tanker cleaning terminal in Woolwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey. It operated from 1962 to 2001. Contaminated cleaning solution was dumped in an unlined lagoon until 1976, then stored in concrete tanks. EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in May 2013. One business currently operates on the property, employing 20 people and generating about $11.5 million in annual sales.

EPA has identified 23 contaminants of concern spread across groundwater, soil, and sediment. Key substances include benzene, trichloroethene (TCE), tetrachloroethene (PCE), vinyl chloride, xylene, ethylbenzene, naphthalene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, several phthalates, chloroaniline, and dichloroethane compounds. Risk assessments completed in 2017 found that volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in groundwater pose cancer and noncancer risks above EPA safety thresholds.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection began investigating the site in 1982 and reached a cleanup agreement with Matlack in 1987. Between 1990 and 2001, Matlack installed a groundwater treatment system and removed contaminated soil and storage tanks. EPA completed its own Remedial Investigation in June 2017 and issued a Record of Decision (ROD) in September 2017. That ROD called for permeable reactive barriers, soil and sediment removal, and institutional controls to limit land use. A Pre-Design Investigation from 2019 to 2022 found two distinct source areas needing different approaches. In August 2023, EPA issued a ROD Amendment adding in-situ thermal treatment for the Drum Disposal Area. An April 2024 Explanation of Significant Differences noted that soil contamination in the Former Lagoon Area was much larger than originally estimated.

Remedial design finished in September 2024, and active remedial work started in June 2024. It is expected to continue through approximately May 2026. EPA has determined that human exposure is currently under control, with no unacceptable exposure pathways across the site. However, contaminated groundwater migration is not yet stabilized. Physical construction is not complete, and the site is not ready for its anticipated future use. EPA plans to monitor groundwater impacts before implementing the groundwater and sediment cleanup portions.

Community members with questions can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager. Site documents, including the administrative record and technical studies, can be reviewed at the EPA Superfund Records Center in Woolwich Township or at EPA's records center in New York City.