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DEPARTMENT OF ENVJRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER 

Mail Code 401-07 

CHRIS CHRISTIE P.O.Box402 BOB MARTIN 

Governor Trenton, NJ 08625-0402 Commissioner 

TEL (609) 292-2885 

KIM GUADAGNO FAX (609) 292-7695 

Lt. Governor 

Judith Enck, Administrator 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

Region II 

290 Broadway 

New York, NY 10007-1866 

Re: 	 Nomination for Removal Action and National Priorities List of Superfund Sites 

Matlack Inc. Swedesboro Tem1inal Site 

Woolwich Township, Gloucester County 

Dear Ms. Enck: 

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) submits the Matlack Inc. 

Swedesboro Terminal site in Woolwich Township, Gloucester County for removal action 

consideration under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response and Cleanup Liability 

Act (CERCLA) and nominates the site for inclusion on the National Primities List (NPL) of 

Superfund sites. 

The 31-acre Matlack site poses an ecological risk to bald eagles and other fauna from a 

contaminated surface water seep to a local creek that warrants removal action consideration by 

the U.S. Enviromnental Protection Agency (EPA) Region II's Emergency and Remedial 

Response Division. Furthermore, due to a pervasive groundwater contamination problem, 

including a probable non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) source, and near depletion of available 

responsible party funding, DEP also requests EPA again consider this former Resource 

Conservation and Recovery (RCRA) site for NPL listing to adequately complete necessary 

remedial measures. This site was first scored and found eligible for NPL listing in 1984, but 

received a RCRA deferral. Since Matlack is no longer a viable company the RCRA deferral is no 

longer valid. 

Because a DEP contractor recently prepared a Remedial Alternatives Analysis at the Matlack site 

that outlines specific cleanup options, it is recommended EPA incorporate the recently proposed 

national Superfund Integrated Cleanup Initiative (ICI) for accelerating a remedial action project. 

The project size and complexity included in the DEP report is within the pilot criteria under ICI's 

Action No.l7. DEP is prepared to help expedite the signing of a Record of Decision after this 

site is placed on the NPL. 

New Jersey is an Equal Opportunity Employer~ Printed on Recycled Paper and Recyclable 
DEP specifically requests that EPA Region II' s Removal Action Branch evaluate stopping the 

discharge of chlorinated solvents into Grande Sprute Run via seeps located on its banks, 

Sediment and water samples collected from six locations indicate the presence of 

tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and other volatile organic compounds discharging into the tributary, 

which in turn flows into Raccoon Creek. Grande Sprute Run contains a thriving ecological 

community that would be impacted by contaminants as measured. Notably, sediment samples 

from within the flowing seeps contained PCE. 

As of January 2011, DEP maintains control of approximately $375,000 in a financial assurance 

account from the bankrupt responsible pmty for remedial activities at the site. An interim 

groundwater extraction and treatment system remains active at the site. 

Due to the findings in the Remedial Alternatives Analysis report, lack of a viable responsible 

party and scope of remedial work anticipated to investigate and clean up the volatile organic 

contamination to protect ecological health in the area, it is appropriate that the Matlack site be 

proposed for the NPL. 

DEP specifically recommends that two alternatives be taken to preconstruction stage under an 

ICI pilot to provide more reliable data to make a final decision: excavation of source area and insitu chemical oxidation. The extra cost to conduct a treatment test for in-situ chemical oxidation 

would be partly off-set by reducing the volume of soil to be excavated should the excavation of 

source area be implemented. 

The facility began operating in 1962 as a truck terminal and tank-trailer cleaning facility. The 

site operations, which were closed in 1998, included maintenance areas, parking areas, and truck 

cleaning racks for purging various tank trailers. Matlack went bankrupt and DEP took over the 

financial assurance to remediate the site and has been working with EPA's RCRA program. 

Currently, a po1tion of the prope1ty is used by Liberty Ken worth as a medium and heavy duty 

l!uck sales and service center. 

DEP appreciates the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process to nominate this 

site for removal consideration and NPL status and is looking forward to future cooperation with 

EPA during remedial work at the site. If you have any questions, please call me at 609-292-1250. 

Si relv 

Commissioner 

c: 	 George Pavlou, Deputy Administrator, EPA Region II 

Walter Mugdan, Director, EPA Emergency and Remedial Response Division 

Irene Kropp, Deputy Commissioner, DEP 

Dave Sweeney, Assistant Commissioner, DEP Site Remediation Program