The Cleanup of Gloucester City\’s Superfund Sites Continues; $384 Million Spent So Far

William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (January 26, 2020)–The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is continuing the cleanup of contaminants in Gloucester City that came from the defunct Welsbach Factory located at King and Essex Streets and the Delaware River. Presently the property is the home of the Gloucester Marine Terminal/Holt property.

The same area was also the home of Armstrong Cork for many years.

The EPA is preparing the plans to remove contaminants from the Gloucester Marine Terminal/Holt property at King And Essex Streets (gloucestercitynews.net photo)

The Welsbach factory manufactured gas mantles in Gloucester City from the 1890s to the 1940s. Using state-of-the-art technology at the time, the wicks for the gas lamps were dipped into radioactive thorium so they would “glow in the dark.”

The company, not knowing the thorium was radioactive, discarded the wicks throughout Gloucester City. A similar manufacturing company, General Gas Mantle, located in Camden City did the same with the waste coming from their plant.

Since 1999 the EPA has been removing the thorium at various sites such as the baseball and football fields on Johnson Blvd. The same cleanup process has been ongoing in Camden.

In 1980, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) sponsored a flyover radiological survey in Gloucester City and Camden City. Based on the survey, the EPA investigated more than 1,000 properties surrounding the two former gas mantle facilities – Welsbach in Gloucester City and General Gas Mantle (GGM) in Camden City.

As for the upcoming work at the Gloucester Marine Terminal, a source told us that an above ground tank 42 feet in diameter and 16 foot tall was going to be erected at the site.

Elias Rodríguez,

Public Information Officer, Region 2, New York, was asked to explain the purpose of such a large structure.

A similar tank like this one will be erected on Gloucester Marine Terminal/Holt property (Gloucestercitynews.net files)

\”

You are likely referring to the tank for the groundwater treatment system. Groundwater treatment will be conducted using physical and chemical treatment processes. The final design of the groundwater treatment facility including the treatment equipment/tanks has not been completed. However, one of the tanks to be designed/constructed is expected to be an open tank and would be used as an emergency back-up storage tank. So, it would not regularly contain impacted groundwater. In addition, the contaminants of concern are not ones where movement from the water to air is a concern,\” said Rodriquez.

\”

Construction of a groundwater treatment facility has been initiated and is part of existing work addressing excavation of radiologically contaminated soil at the port facility. Water encountered during the soil excavations will require treatment/disposal and that necessitates the design/construction of the groundwater treatment facility,\” he said.

\”

The Holt Cargo/Gloucester Marine Terminal parking lot is the location of the groundwater treatment facility. The port is the location of the former Welsbach facility. The former Welsbach facility operated from the turn of the century to roughly the 1940s and a waste by-product from their manufacture of gas lanterns contained low levels of radioactive material that was used as fill material in areas of Gloucester City and Camden City. One of the remaining buildings on-site at the port facility is the Armstrong Building.\”

Rodriquez said

the Welsbach Company (Gloucester City) and GGM (Camden City) produced gas mantles from the late 1890s to 1941. The companies used radioactive elements in the production of the mantles to help them glow brighter when heated. In the early 1990s, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection found elevated levels of radiation at the site and in many residential areas. EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List in June 1996.

Cleanup activities completed to date include:

¨ Excavation/disposal of contaminated soil and waste materials from numerous properties in Gloucester City and Camden;

¨ The demolition/off-site disposal of the former GGM building in Camden;

¨ Cleanup of radiologically contaminated building surfaces in the Armstrong Building, the last standing building associated with the former Welsbach Company at the port in Gloucester City;

¨ Cleanup/restoration of the William Flynn Veterans Complex, which included rebuilding three baseball fields, a football practice field, and a parking area; and

¨ Cleanup/restoration of the Nicholson Road Sports Complex, which included restoration of three softball fields, a Little League baseball field, bathroom facilities, and a concession stand. Current cleanup activities include:

¨ Excavation/disposal of radiologically contaminated soil at fifteen locations at the port facility; and

¨ Relocation of utilities (e.g. electrical, gas, telecommunication) within the port facility to facilitate subsequent large excavation of radiologically contaminated soil.

The prime contractor for the groundwater treatment facility is APTIM Corp.

APTIM specializes in engineering, program management, environmental services, disaster recovery, complex facility maintenance, and construction services. They have offices in Philadelphia and New York City and throughout the United States and Canada.

https://www.aptim.com

The value of the groundwater treatment facility project being built at the marine terminal is estimated to be $7 million Rodriquez said.

According to Rodriquez a

n estimated $384 million has been spent for investigations and clean-up and that includes work in Camden and Gloucester City.

When asked how much longer will it take to finish the projects in Camden and Gloucester Cities Rodriquez said, \”The current projection for the complete cleanup of these two communities is 10 years.\”

From the EPA\’s

WELSBACH & GENERAL GAS MANTLE Superfund website;

To address long-term site risks, EPA has investigated close to 950 properties in Camden and Gloucester City and has completed the cleanup on 163 of the nearly 175 properties identified as contaminated. To date, EPA has excavated and disposed of more than 350,000 tons of radiologically contaminated soils and waste materials. These cleanups included removing about 105,000 tons of contaminated soil from Gloucester City Swim Club and adjacent residential properties; about 23,000 tons from the site of a Gloucester City middle school; 35,000 tons from residential properties along Highland Avenue and Klemm Boulevard in Gloucester City; more than 55,000 tons from the General Gas Mantle area in Camden, more than 16,000 tons from residential properties and wetlands areas along Temple Avenue in Gloucester City, and about 130,000 tons from the recreational properties along Johnson Boulevard in Gloucester City.

(See More)

Video (s): $25 Million Spent on EPA Cleanup of Johnson Blvd. Sports Complex

www.gloucestercitynews.net › clearysnotebook › 2009/08 › epa-to-ho…

GLOUCESTER CITY: EPA to Hold Meeting On Welsbach …

Aug 18, 2009 –

Road

. To better understand how the community uses these ball

fields

, EPA … EPA plans to begin the

cleanup

at the

Gloucester City

Land Preserve by early fall 2009. … be working on, plug in

Johnson

Boulevard,

Gloucester City

, NJ 08030. … and Common Council of

Gloucester City

(

gloucestercitynews

net

) …

source of graphics EPA

North Carolina Man Charged for Bringing Weapons, Including Machine Gun, into Federal Facility

CAMDEN CITY, N.J. – A North Carolina man was arrested today on charges that he brought a loaded handgun and machine gun into a federal facility, and illegally transported the machine gun into New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Dustin Peters, 25, a former Marine, was arrested in Cape May County, New Jersey, and is charged by complaint with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in a federal facility and one count of unlawful interstate transport of a machine gun. Peters is scheduled to have an initial appearance on Jan. 21, 2020, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joel Schneider in Camden federal court.

According to documents filed in this case:

On Jan. 9, 2020, Peters attempted to enter the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May. During a routine security search of his vehicle, Coast Guard personnel recovered a modified, fully automatic AK-47 rifle, a loaded 9mm Century Arms handgun, multiple large capacity magazines, ammunition, a ballistic vest, gas mask and canister, three boxes of ammunition, a nylon chest rig, and other items. Peters told law enforcement agents that he purchased the AK-47 in Virginia, but modified it on his own to become fully automatic.

The counts of possession of a firearm on a federal facility carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. The unlawful interstate transport of a machine gun carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, Atlantic City Resident Agency’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark; members of the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, under the direction of Resident Agent in Charge Rodney E. Newcomer; the Cape May Police Department under the direction of Chief Anthony G. Marino Jr.; and the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland, with the investigation leading to today’s charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisa Shver of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.

This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice\’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department\’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see

http://www.justice.gov/projectguardian

The charges and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

400 Teddy Bears Donated for Children in Traumatic Events

Members of the Brothers in Blue Motorcycle Club dropped off 400 donated Teddy Bears to the Camden County Police Departments as part of the club’s nationwide “Freddie’s Teddies” program. The bears are reserved for police interactions with children during traumatic events and are intended to provide comfort in times of stress.

“We are extremely grateful to the Brothers in Blue for their compassion and generosity,” said Chief Joseph Wysocki. “These bears will be kept in police vehicles and always on hand to comfort a child. We are working to ensure that even during traumatic incidents, interactions with our officers are seen are meaningful and positive.”

“Freddie’s Teddies” is a stuffed animal drive conducted in the memory of Jennifer L. \”Freddie\” Meadows, a teddy bear lover who was killed in an unsolved hit-and-run in 2017. To date, Brothers in Blue MC has collected over 16,000 stuffed animals, most of which are donated to police, fire, and rescue departments to comfort children during traumatic situations.

ee Photos

Pet of the Week: Toby

I\’m a super lovable little guy who loves people. I\’m a little spoiled here – I have a favorite blanket, and I get tucked in most nights! But I\’d truly love to go to my forever home. I\’m really not interested in toys at this time, but people, oh yeah. I\’m just looking for a family to hang out with and maybe some day I\’ll find a toy that strikes my fancy. I\’m good with other dogs and hope to make new friends someday. I\’m learning how to walk nicely on a leash and should be good at it in no time flat. I would enjoy a fenced yard so I can run around if the mood strikes me. I should be fine children of around six years old and older only because I might accidentally knock a toddler down while exercising. With a little training, I\’ll be fine. Please come see me at

Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center

– I won\’t disappoint!

Williams helps Raptor women defeat William Paterson, 65-56

CAMDEN, N.J. (Jan. 25, 2020) – Senior guard

Fatimah Williams

scored 23 points for her third straight game over 20 points as she sparked the Rutgers University-Camden women’s basketball team over William Paterson University, 65-56, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Saturday afternoon.

The victory snaps a three-game losing streak and lifts the Scarlet Raptors to 10-8 overall and 3-8 in the NJAC. Paterson, which now leads the all-time series, 54-14, falls to 8-10 overall and 6-5 in conference play.

The two teams battled to a 33-33 halftime score after Rutgers-Camden fell into a 17-8 hole just 6:05 into the game. The Scarlet Raptors broke a 37-37 tie early in the third quarter on a jumper by Williams to take the lead for good, 39-37, but the score remained tight for most of the remainder of the contest.

When Paterson freshman guard Madison Dulude hit a pair of foul shots with 1:38 remaining, Rutgers-Camden held a slim 58-56 lead. Williams collected four foul shots down the stretch, junior guard

Shane Holmes

added two and freshman guard/forward

Jalissa Pitts

notched one as the Scarlet Raptors closed out the game at the foul line.

Rutgers-Camden finished the night 14-for-20 at the charity stripe (70.0 percent), while shooting 24-for-57 (42.1) from the floor. Paterson went 12-for-19 from the line (63.2) and 19-for-46 (41.3) from the floor. Although the Pioneers had a 42-26 advantage off the boards, Rutgers-Camden also forced them to make 29 turnovers, compared to the Raptors’ 16.

With her 10th 20-plus scoring effort of the season, Williams raised her team-leading scoring average to an even 20.0 points per game. She also hiked her career output to 1,092 points, 13th on the program’s all-time list. She should pass jump into 11th place next week, needing only 26 points to pass both Nelly Cruz (1,113 points from 1988-91) and Tara Harris (1,117 from 1984-88), who are 12th and 11th, respectively, on the career list.

Williams added a team-high six rebounds, tied Holmes with a team-high four assists and notched a game-high six steals. Holmes finished with 12 points to go along with her four assists.

The Raptors also received big contributions from freshman center

Kayla Newton

(eight points, four rebounds), sophomore forward

Breanna Ettrick

(seven points, freshman guard/forward

Jalissa Pitts

(six points, four rebounds, three steals) and sophomore guard/forward

Tamara Johnson

(six points, four steals).

Senior guard Alisa Giordano led the Pioneers with 15 points on 5-for-12 shooting from three-point range. Dulude and junior guard Brianna Brooks both added 13 points. Freshman guard Yakira Rosa had a game-high five assists and junior forward Vianca Soriano hauled down eight rebounds to lead all players.

The Scarlet Raptors return to NJAC action Wednesday with an 8 p.m. game at Stockton University.

Early run lifts Paterson past Rutgers-Camden men

CAMDEN CITY, N.J. (Jan. 25, 2020) – The William Paterson University men’s basketball team went on a 14-point run after Rutgers University-Camden scored the first three points of the game and the Pioneers went on to defeat the Scarlet Raptors, 79-52, in New Jersey Athletic Conference action here Saturday.

Paterson evens its record at 9-9 overall and improves to 5-6 in the NJAC with its sixth straight win in the all-time series against Rutgers-Camden. The Pioneers lead that series, 63-7.

The Scarlet Raptors fall to 6-11 overall and 3-8 in conference play.

Raptor junior guard

Arian Azemi

buried a three-pointer to get the scoring started, but the Pioneers rattled off the next 14 points, taking the lead for good at 4-3 on a jumper by senior guard Anthony Uribe. Uribe scored six points and junior guard Domenic Mignone added four during the opening run.

Rutgers-Camden managed to slice its deficit to eight points on two occasions (21-13 and 26-18) in the first half before Paterson established a 38-25 halftime lead. The Pioneers led by as many as 28 points (72-44) in the second half.

Mignone scored a game-high 21 points to pace four Pioneers in double figures. Uribe finished with 12 points, junior forward Malcolm McLeod notched 11 and senior forward Sean Smith added 10.

McLeod just missed a double-double, hauling down nine rebounds as WPU dominated the boards, 52-19. Uribe added four assists and three steals.

Senior center

Isaac Destin

notched 17 points and six rebounds to lead the Scarlet Raptors in both categories. Azemi added 11 points, five rebounds, four assists and a game-high five steals.

Sophomore guard

Keysean Simmonds

and freshman forward

Dylan Trow

both collected nine points for Rutgers-Camden.

The Pioneers shot 34-for-63 (54.0 percent) from the floor, while the Scarlet Raptors were 15-for-53 (28.3). Paterson had 24 turnovers, while Rutgers-Camden had 15.

Rutgers-Camden jumps right back into action on Sunday when it plays a road game at Division I Princeton University, beginning at 12 p.m.

Take the Connect 2020 Biking and Walking Survey

Help Improve Biking and Walking in Collingswood and Haddon Township

Collingswood and Haddon Township are working on a Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. The goal is to develop a bicycle and pedestrian network that helps to further connect the two communities, with a specific focus on travel to the Haddon Avenue corridor.

The plan will identify strategies and improvements that will help to create a safe and comfortable multimodal network between Collingswood and Haddon Township that balances the needs of everyone – pedestrians, bicyclists, public transit riders, people with disabilities, seniors and children. It will maximize multimodal connections for visitors, commuters and residents to assets including NJ Transit bus connections, the PATCO Speedline, The Camden County Spine Trail, various public park trails, the Camden Greenway and the Circuit Trails of Greater Philadelphia. The project team is hosting two public meetings to kick off the project and also is soliciting public feedback from visitors and residents via a survey and interactive mapping exercise.

Go to

connect2020sj.com

to take the survey and for detailed project information.

Anderson Diaz, 22, of Camden City, Charged with Murder

CAMDEN CITY, NJ –On January 23, 2020, Anderson Diaz, 22, of Camden, was charged with Murder, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, and Certain Persons Not to Have a Weapon for the murder of Michael Edwards, according to Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer and

Camden Police Chief Joseph Wysocki.

At approximately 12:54 a.m. on January 11, 2020, Camden County Police responded to a ShotSpotter activation and reports of a possible shooting near the 500 block of Pfeiffer Street in Camden. When officers arrived, they located the victim, Michael Edwards, lying unresponsive on the 400 block of Pfeiffer Street, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. He was taken to Cooper University Hospital, where he died a short time later.

Anderson Diaz is currently being held in the Camden County Jail on an unrelated matter pending a pretrial detention hearing.

All persons charged with crimes are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Released Friday, January 24, 2020.

Cherry Hill Man Charged with Pos. of Child Porn

CHERRY HILL NJ –Robert Hammond, 68, of Cherry Hill, was charged with one count of Possession of Child Pornography according to Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer and Cherry Hill Police Chief William Monaghan.

On January 24, 2020, detectives from the High-Tech Crimes Unit (HTCU) of the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office and Members of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Cherry Hill Office executed a search warrant for Robert Hammond’s residence on the 500 block of Murray Avenue in Cherry Hill. An onsite preview of digital media devices found in the home resulted in Hammond being charged. Numerous digital devices were taken to the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office’s HTCU forensic lab to be further analyzed.

Robert Hammond was transported to the Cherry Hill Police Department, where he was processed and released pending further court proceedings.

The Cherry Hill Police Department, Cherry Hill Police Department Tactical Response Team and a New Jersey State Police Electronic Storage Detection K9 assisted the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office HTCU Detectives and HSI-Cherry Hill in this investigation.

The investigation is ongoing.

All persons charged with crimes are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Tyler Dralle, 22, and Kwamere Benjamin, 19, Convicted of Murder and Other Crimes

CAMDEN CITY NJ (January 24, 2020)–On January 23, 2020, a jury convicted Tyler Dralle, 22, and Kwamere Benjamin, 19, of Felony Murder, Murder, Armed Robbery, Armed Burglary, Conspiracy to Commit Burglary, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon and Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose in connection with the murder of Deanna Scordo. Assistant Prosecutor Peter Gallagher represented the State at trial.

Officers initially responded to a blueberry farm located at the 700 block of Bairdmore Avenue, in Winslow Township, shortly before 4:00 am on June 25, 2017, after receiving a 911 call from the victim’s father, stating that intruders had broken into his home and shot his daughter. On arrival, officers found Deanna Scordo lying on the floor of her bedroom. She had been shot three times and was pronounced deceased shortly thereafter. Detectives determined that the intruders had forced entry to the Scordo residence and, during the course of the home invasion, had stolen currency and property.

The extensive investigation was led by Sergeant Christopher Sarson and Detective Matthew Barber of the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office and Detective Nick Arnold and Detective Darren Dogostino of the Winslow Township Police Department and included numerous witness interviews and the forensic examination of physical evidence. As a result, detectives were able to determine that Kwamere Benjamin and Tyler Dralle had committed the home invasion after conspiring to do so. Both defendants were charged felony murder and arrested in connection with the home invasion and shooting of Deanna Scordo.

The trial for both defendants commenced the week of November 17, 2019, and culminated with guilty verdicts on all counts for both defendants on January 23, 2020.

Sentencing hearings for Tyler Dralle and Kwamere Benjamin are scheduled for February 28, 2020, before the Honorable Frederick J. Schuck. Both men face up to life in prison.

Released Friday, January 24, 2020.