Chemical Leaman Tank Lines, Inc.

Overview

The Chemical Leaman Tank Lines site covers about 31.4 acres in Logan Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey. The facility once cleaned, maintained, stored, and dispatched tanker trucks carrying chemical products. Wastewater from those washing operations flowed into lagoons starting in 1961, eventually discharging into the Great Cedar Swamp wetlands. The site was added to the EPA's National Priorities List in September 1984 after volatile organic compounds (VOCs) turned up in groundwater and nearby private wells in 1980 and 1981.

More than 170 chemical substances have been identified at the site. VOCs such as benzene, trichloroethene, and vinyl chloride were found in groundwater and soil. Heavy metals including arsenic, chromium, lead, and mercury appear across multiple areas. The wetlands area carried the heaviest contamination load, and contaminants also reached private drinking water wells near the facility. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides like DDT, phthalates, and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons round out the list.

Cleanup was organized into four operable units covering sitewide activities, groundwater, soil, and wetlands. A pump-and-treat system now removes contaminated groundwater at roughly 200 gallons per minute, achieving 97 to 99 percent contaminant removal. Contaminated soil was excavated and disposed of off-site between 2003 and 2008. An electrical resistivity heating system then treated deeper soil contamination until December 2017, after which caps were placed over treated areas. In the wetlands, over 7,500 cubic yards of contaminated soil were removed, clean soil was brought in, berms and drainage systems were built, and native plants were established. EPA declared the wetlands cleanup complete in October 2024. Homes near the facility were connected to municipal water supplies to cut off exposure through private wells.

Physical cleanup construction is complete across the entire site. EPA has determined that human exposure is currently under control, with no unacceptable exposure pathways identified, and that groundwater migration has been stabilized. Institutional controls, including a deed notice and a Classification Exception Area, limit the site to commercial use, prevent disturbance of capped areas, and block further groundwater contamination. One business currently operates on-site, employing 60 people. The site remains in the operations and maintenance phase with ongoing groundwater monitoring. The most recent five-year review was completed in June 2022, with the next one estimated between June and August 2027.

Community members can review site records at the Township Clerk's Office, Logan Township Municipal Building, 3 Main Street, Bridgeport, NJ 08014, or at the EPA Records Center, 290 Broadway, 18th Floor, New York, NY, reachable at (212) 637-4308. Questions can go to the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager.