Chemicals of Concern

Furthermore, at the Brick Township Landfill site there are many chemicals of concern due to the dumping of residential and commercial garbage, construction debris, vegetative wastes, and sewage/septic wastes along with labeled and unlabeled 55-gallon drums.  Based on information found in documents from the NJDEP archive, between 1969 and 1972, “total septic wastes accepted at the facility were estimated to range between 31,000,000 gallons and 37,200,000 gallons and between 1975 and 1978 the annual sewage disposal was calculated to be 12 million gallons.  These types of activities led to the release of contaminants into the surrounding areas of the landfill.  Approximately 50 chemical compounds were detected in various matrices within and surrounding the Brick Township Landfill.  The compounds found were grouped into six classes: pesticides, inorganics (metals), base neutrals, chlorinated organics, brominated organics, and organic solvents”(Birdsall engineering, Inc., 2008) .

“Seven pesticides (alpha, beta, and gamma-BHC, chlordane, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide and alpha-endosulfan) primarily found within the septic sludge pits or monitoring wells sampled during the period ending in 1985.  Occurrence of pesticides was sporadic, however the highest concentrations were detected in monitoring wells in November 1980 in the southeastern quadrant of the landfill, nearby Sally Ike Road.  Inorganic contaminants were found intermittently, within sludge pits, on-site monitoring wells, or off-site monitoring wells.  Heavy metals were detected within on- and off-site monitoring wells, the highest concentrations of constituents occurred toward the southeast quadrant of the site, and the off-site area immediately adjacent to Sally Ike Road.  Phthalate esters and polyaromatic hydrocarbons, i.e., base neutrals, were found within and adjacent to the Landfill during this period.  Very high phthalate concentrations, 31-100 ppm, were present within the septic sludge pits in December 1981, but were non-detect in subsequent samples.  Phthalates detects within on-site monitoring wells were sporadic as well.  Highest concentrations occurred in the southeastern-most monitoring wells.  Three subclasses of chlorinated organic compounds were present in the various matrices within and surrounding the site.  Concentrations within samples collected during the 1978-1985 period varied, but were predominately identified in wells located in the southeastern portion of the Landfill.  Bromoform was found in two off-site wells, immediately adjacent to the landfill near Sally Ike Road.  No other occurrences are reported for this period.  Three non-halogenated organic solvents (ethylbenzene, toluene, and benzene) were detected in the various matrices within and/or around the Landfill.  Toluene was identified in septic sludge pits and non-landfill monitoring wells in 1980.  Benzene and ethylbenzene occurred predominately near the southeastern quadrant of the landfill, along Sally Ike Road, indicating the landfill as the potential source of these compounds. ”(Birdsall engineering, Inc., 2008).

Moreover, the Phase I site investigation provided a preliminary assessment of the degree of environmental contamination resulting from the Brick Township Landfill.  The activities conducted in Phase I included geophysical and soil gas surveys, geologic and geohydrologic  (groundwater) characterizations, tank sampling, leachate sampling, waste characterization/test pit, and ambient air monitoring.  The key findings demonstrate how the pollutants are travelling from the inflicted site (Birdsall engineering, inc.,2008). 

The key findings of the report show that a silt layer found below the landfill site may be a barrier that is letting further contamination from the landfill occur.  There was evidence found that the groundwater in the southeastern portion of the landfill is being contaminated and the contamination is limited to several volatile organic compounds and landfill leachate constituents.  A landfill leachate plume also appeared to be migrating from the landfill with the groundwater.  The results of the Phase I site investigation indicated that the landfill is contributing to the degradation of the groundwater quality.  The pollutants of the landfill travel in multiple ways.  They are moving through the groundwater, surface water, and through the sands (Environ international corporation, 2005).