Puchack Well Field

Overview

Puchack Well Field is a Superfund site in Pennsauken Township, New Jersey. A now-defunct plating facility near Cove and River roads contaminated groundwater with chromium starting in the 1970s. The pollution spread through three aquifer layers and forced the well field to shut down in 1984. Residents were connected to the public water supply. The site was listed on EPA's National Priorities List (NPL) in 1998.

Nine contaminants of concern have been identified at the site. Chromium is present in groundwater. Arsenic, chromium(VI), and six polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including benzo(a)pyrene and dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, are found in soil at source areas. EPA notes that some contaminants may have been cleaned up after the original remedy decisions were made.

Cleanup is divided into two operable units. The groundwater remedy, set by a 2006 Record of Decision, uses sodium lactate injection to convert toxic hexavalent chromium into less harmful trivalent chromium, along with monitored natural attenuation and institutional controls. Phase 1 of groundwater treatment finished in 2013, with post-injection sampling completed by 2016. The most recent groundwater remedial action began in September 2023, and final remedial action is estimated to start between June and August 2026. The soil and source area remedy, set by a 2011 Record of Decision, used in-situ chemical reduction. A responsible party mixed calcium polysulfide into contaminated soil to stop additional chromium from reaching groundwater, finishing that work in 2016.

Human exposure is currently considered under control, meaning no unacceptable pathways for people to contact contamination have been identified. However, contaminated groundwater is still moving and has not been fully contained. Physical construction is not complete for the entire site, and additional remedial actions are still needed before the site can be considered fully remediated.

Community members can stay involved through EPA's Community Involvement Plan, which describes how EPA will work with local residents as cleanup moves forward. Updates are available in both English and Spanish, with the most recent update from spring 2025. Documents related to the site can be reviewed at the EPA Superfund Records Center at 290 Broadway, 18th floor, New York, NY, or at the Pennsauken Free Public Library at 5605 Cresent Boulevard in Pennsauken. Community members with questions can contact Community Involvement Coordinator Natalie Loney or Remedial Project Manager Malek Shami.