GEMS Landfill

Overview

GEMS Landfill covers about 60 acres in Gloucester Township, New Jersey, and sits roughly 100 feet above the surrounding area. Municipal and industrial wastes were dumped there from 1969 to 1980. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in September 1983 after New Jersey regulators found volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in groundwater and surface water. The site is also known as Amadei Landfill and is located in Camden County.

More than 200 hazardous substances have been identified at the site. Contaminants include VOCs such as benzene, trichloroethene, and chlorobenzene, as well as metals like lead, arsenic, cadmium, and chromium. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides including DDT, and various solvents and industrial chemicals are also present. These contaminants appear in groundwater, surface water, soil, sediment, leachate, and landfill gas. The landfill's eastern edge borders Holly Run stream, which flows into Briar Lake about a quarter mile away.

EPA selected a cleanup plan in 1985. Phase 1 work, running from 1988 through the mid-1990s, included regrading landfill slopes, installing a protective cap, building a leachate collection system and gas treatment system, and connecting affected homes to municipal water. Phase 2 began in 1997 and added a groundwater extraction system with eight wells along the landfill's northwestern boundary. That system started operating in summer 2005. In 2014, a deep horizontal well was added to better capture the contaminated groundwater plume. A 2025 Explanation of Significant Differences was issued to modify aspects of the Operable Unit 1 remedy.

EPA's 2024 Five-Year Review confirmed the cleanup remains protective of human health and the environment. Human exposure is under control through a landfill cap, fencing, public water supply connections, deed notices, and a Classification Exception Area. Groundwater migration is also under control, with contamination stabilized and no unacceptable discharge to surface water. EPA is currently installing 18 additional groundwater monitoring wells to confirm the system continues to capture all known contamination and to evaluate whether the Classification Exception Area needs revision. The site has not yet been deleted from the National Priorities List.

Community members can review site documents at the Gloucester Township Municipal Building in Chews Landing, New Jersey, by calling 609-228-4000, ext. 236, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Documents are also available at the EPA Superfund Records Center at 290 Broadway, 18th floor, New York, NY 10007, by calling 212-637-4308, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.