Cooper Road is a small former borrow pit covering less than 100 square feet in Voorhees Township, Camden County, New Jersey. The site was added to the EPA's National Priorities List (NPL) in 1984 after workers discovered several dozen glass vials containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in 1982. Some vials had broken and leaked into the soil. The NPL is the federal list of the most serious uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country.
The State of New Jersey oversaw the cleanup work. Crews removed the vials and excavated about six inches of soil beneath them, disposing of roughly 200 cubic yards of contaminated material off site. Follow-up sampling found no significant contamination in the remaining soil or groundwater. The EPA formally selected "No Further Action" as the remedy for the site's single operable unit on September 30, 1987, confirming that no additional cleanup steps were needed.
EPA removed the site from the NPL in February 1989 after confirming no contamination remained. All four major cleanup performance measures have since been achieved. Human exposure is under control, meaning there are no unacceptable exposure pathways. Groundwater migration is also under control, with no unacceptable discharge to surface water expected. Physical construction of the cleanup is complete across the entire site. The site reached "sitewide ready for anticipated reuse" status in June 2006, meaning all cleanup goals are met and all required land-use controls are in place.
The site has been redeveloped as part of a residential housing development. Residents in the area receive drinking water from the public water supply rather than private wells. EPA will continue monitoring to confirm that any affected groundwater stays within the original area of contamination.
Community members with questions can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager.
