Another step taken toward cleaning up Camden Superfund site

Historic Postcard photo of the Welsbach factory located at King and Essex Streets, Gloucester City

| Philadelphia Inquirer | 07/27/2010

In the early 20th century, Welsbach, in Gloucester City, was America\’s largest manufacturer of gas mantles, a precursor to the lightbulb. General Gas Mantle in Camden, which opened in 1912, was its closest competitor. Both companies went out of business in the early 1940s. Findings of thorium began in the early 1990s when the state Department of Environmental Protection conducted an investigation of radioactive contaminants on more than 1,000 properties in Gloucester City and Camden City. At that time, the Welsbach site was considered a Superfund site and deemed dangerous. The investigation showed that the contaminated soil was at times taken from the companies\’ base, most likely by mantle workers needing fill for city and home projects, and sprinkled across other parts of Camden and Gloucester City, Mugdan said. He said the EPA has been cleaning up many of the noted areas since 2000, which include Essex Street residential properties, the Gloucester City swim club, and Temple Avenue along Newtown Creek. The site of Monday\’s demolition in Camden will use $22 million of the $28 million in stimulus money. The remaining $6 million will be used to assess other hot spots, Mugdan said.