Iceland Coin Laundry Area Ground Water Plume

Overview

The Iceland Coin Laundry site is a former laundry and dry cleaning facility in Vineland, New Jersey. It operated from 1953 to at least 1971 and used tetrachloroethene (PCE) in its dry cleaning equipment. Waste discharged to seepage pits and drain fields spread a contaminated groundwater plume south and southwest into nearby residential areas. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in October 2002.

The three contaminants of concern are all found in groundwater across the entire site: PCE, trichloroethene (TCE), and cis-1,2-dichloroethene. Starting in 1987, PCE and TCE were detected in residential drinking water wells at levels above state and federal safety limits. By 1991, 21 of 55 tested wells had unsafe levels, affecting roughly 44 people. New Jersey installed temporary treatment units at affected homes in November 1991. The city then extended public water service to those residences by early 1996, with four more homes connected in 2012. EPA will also prevent new private wells from being drilled in the contaminated plume area.

The cleanup remedy, selected in September 2006, uses in-situ bioremediation, monitoring, and institutional controls. This means injecting substances into the ground to encourage natural biological breakdown of the contaminants where they sit. A treatability study ran from 2006 to 2007, testing emulsified vegetable oil injections to create conditions that break PCE into less harmful substances. The full-scale treatment barrier was installed along Garrison Road and South Orchard Street between July and October 2011, with additional injections in 2015. A vapor intrusion assessment is ongoing at the former facility site, with plans to install a mitigation system if vapors are found to need capture.

Groundwater monitoring from 2020 to 2024 shows the plume mass has decreased. Human exposure is under control, with no current unacceptable exposure pathways identified. Groundwater migration is also under control, with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. The site reached "Ready for Anticipated Reuse" status in August 2019, and one business currently operates on-site. EPA is in year six of a ten-year monitoring phase, with the next annual groundwater monitoring event scheduled for October 2025. The most recent five-year review was completed in May 2024.

Community members who want to stay informed can review site documents in person at the EPA Superfund Records Center at 290 Broadway, 18th floor, New York, NY, or at the Vineland City Health Department, 3rd floor, 640 East Wood Street, Vineland, NJ. Direct questions can go to the Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager.