Lipari Landfill sits on about six acres in Mantua Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey. It accepted roughly 3 million gallons of liquid wastes and 12,000 cubic yards of solid wastes between 1958 and 1971, including solvents, paints, formaldehyde, and industrial press cakes. Contaminants spread into underlying aquifers, nearby marshlands, Chestnut Branch, Rabbit Run, and Alcyon Lake. The EPA identified more than 60 chemicals of concern across groundwater, soil, sediment, leachate, and surface water. These include volatile organic compounds such as benzene, toluene, trichloroethene, and xylene, heavy metals including arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and mercury, and other substances like phenol and ammonia. About 11,000 people rely on groundwater within three miles of the site, though drinking water supplies were not found to be contaminated.
Cleanup began in 1982 with a security fence, followed by an underground slurry wall and synthetic membrane cap completed in 1984. From 1992 to 2008, the EPA flushed the landfill with clean water and treated extracted contaminated groundwater on-site. A soil vapor extraction system installed in 2000 has removed more than 215 tons of contaminants. In 2011 and 2012, an additional slurry wall and cap were installed around areas outside the original containment. Off-site work addressed Chestnut Branch marsh and Alcyon Lake, which reopened to the public in 1995. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection took over daily operation and maintenance in August 2019. Construction was completed in September 2018, and the site achieved readiness for anticipated reuse in November 2023.
Human exposure is currently under control, with no unacceptable exposure pathways identified. Groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. All cleanup goals have been met and necessary land-use controls are in place. The site was formally deleted from the Superfund National Priorities List on August 16, 2024. Groundwater, surface water, and air continue to be monitored regularly.
The community has already seen tangible benefits from cleanup. A former contaminated lake and marsh management area is now Alcyon Park, featuring baseball, softball, and soccer fields, a picnic pavilion, bike path, nature trail, and restored streams and marshes. Alcyon Lake and Alcyon Park together serve as a recreational hub for Pitman residents.
The most recent five-year review was completed in May 2022, with the next review expected between May and July 2027. Community members with questions can contact the Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager. Site records are available at McCowen Library in Pitman, New Jersey, and at the EPA Region 2 Records Center at 290 Broadway in New York, New York.
