PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT
JACKSON TOWNSHIP LANDFILL
JACKSON TOWNSHIP, OCEAN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY
Figure 2. Generalized Land Use Map
Figure 3. Soil Boring Locations
Figure 4. Current Monitoring Well Locations
Figure 5. Surface Water & Sediment Sample Locations
CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS
| April 1972 | Jackson Township Landfill began its operations. |
|
August 22, 1972 |
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and
Energy (NJDEPE) cited Jackson Township for accepting excessive quantities
of septic sludges. |
| 1972 |
Residents of the Legler section of Jackson Township began reporting that odors were coming from the landfill. |
| Early 1974 | NJDEPE cited the Township for lagooning (i.e., pooling) and
failing to cover septic sludges. |
| Late 1970's | Water level contour maps indicated mounding of the water table
at the landfill resulting in ground-water flow in two directions. |
|
Early 1977 |
Legler residents began reporting medical problems from drinking
well water to Township health officials. |
|
May 31, 1977 |
NJDEPE directed the Township to install monitoring wells throughout
the landfill area. |
|
1978 |
NJDEPE documented the contamination of five on-site monitoring
wells and 26 off-site potable wells with volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
including benzene, chloroform, methylene chloride and 1,1,1-trichloroethylene.
|
| Late 1978 | NJDEPE and local health officials directed area residents
not to drink the water from shallow wells. The Township began supplying
bottled water to Legler residents. |
| December 20, 1978 | NJDEPE directed the Township to cease accepting liquid wastes
at the landfill. |
|
August 31, 1979 |
The Concerned Citizens Committee filed a class action suit
against the Township for negligence in the operation of the landfill. |
|
January 1980 |
The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) conducted a health
survey of 94 Legler households. |
| February 11, 1980 | Jackson Township Landfill ceased its operations. NJDEPE issued
an Administrative Consent Order to the Township requiring the Township to
complete a design for landfill closure, determine the extent of ground water
and surface water contamination, and develop site remediation plans. |
|
July 19, 1980 |
The Township completed the installation of a public water
supply system to serve Legler residents. |
| December 1981 | New Jersey Superior Court ordered the Township to submit a
landfill closure plan and a New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
(NJPDES) application for ground-water monitoring to NJDEPE. |
| December 1981/ February 1982 |
The Township sampled 22 monitoring wells and 8 private potable wells
for priority pollutants. No VOCs were detected. |
| September 1982 | The Township submitted a landfill closure plan to NJDEPE.
|
|
December 1982 |
Jackson Township Landfill was included on the National Priorities
List (NPL) issued by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).
|
|
December 2, 1982 |
NJDEPE sampled deep monitoring wells for priority pollutants.
No VOCs were detected. |
|
March 23, 1983 |
NJDEPE conditionally approved the landfill closure plan. |
| July 1983 | NJDOH completes a report on the January 1980 health survey
of Legler residents. |
| August 1983 | The Township submitted a NJPDES application to NJDEPE. |
| September 1983 | The Remedial Action Master Plan (Hart Associates) prepared
for USEPA recommended that further site investigation be performed. |
|
September 1983 |
New Jersey Superior Court began its hearing of the class action suit
against the Township. |
| November 17, 1983 | New Jersey Superior Court found Jackson Township negligent
in its landfill operations and awarded Legler residents about $15.8 million
in damages for impairment of quality of life, emotional distress, and medical
surveillance. |
| July 1984 |
NJDEPE drafted a revised NJPDES ground-water discharge permit as a supplement
to the landfill closure plan to monitor ground-water quality. |
| October 10, 1984 |
NJDEPE held a public hearing to present the revised NJPDES ground-water
discharge permit. |
| 1985 | NJDEPE sampled four monitoring wells and one residential well
for priority pollutants. Chlorobenzene was detected in one monitoring well.
|
|
May 20, 1985 |
NJDEPE issued the revised NJPDES ground-water discharge permit to the Township. |
| June 1985 | Appellate Division of New Jersey Superior Court annulled over
$10.4 million of the 1983 settlement awarded for emotional distress and
medical surveillance. |
|
November 13, 1987 |
NJDEPE issued a revised Judicial Consent Order (JCO) to the
Township requiring the Township to (1) conduct a Remedial Investigation
and Feasibility Study (RI/FS); and (2) submit and implement the final landfill
closure plan, and implement the NJPDES ground-water discharge permit requirements,
based on the findings of the RI/FS. |
| May 7, 1987 | New Jersey Supreme Court reinstated the amount of the 1983
settlement awarded for medical surveillance. |
| August 22, 1988 | The Township and NJDEPE enter into the JCO issued in November
1987. |
| April 21, 1989 | Fellows, Read & Associates, Inc., completed a Preliminary
Investigation (PI) to provide additional site information. |
| Summer 1989 | The Township installed a chain link fence around the site.
|
|
March 29, 1990 |
NJDEPE approved the RI Work Plan. |
|
November 30, 1990 |
Fellows, Read & Associates, Inc., completed the draft RI Summary Report. |
Response Summary
This response summary represents those comments and reactions to the Public Health Assessment received during the Public Comment Period described in the Community Concerns Evaluation section. In some cases, similar commentary was received from various sources, while other concerns are specific to individuals or groups. Comments and concerns have been grouped by content where possible and are followed by the consequent response.
Comment:
A respondent felt that the NJDOH request in the Public Health Assessment for additional surface soil sampling (0 to 3 inches) was not necessary. They submitted a recent, July 15, 1993, Risk Assessment for the Jackson Township Landfill site as support for their claim that the soil samples were adequate in number and location to characterize the site related contaminants.
Response:
The NJDOH has reviewed the July 15, 1993 Risk Assessment. The risk assessment is based on data from the 1990 remedial investigation which is included in the data evaluated for this public health assessment. Available environmental data for on-site soils (0-24 inches) do not allow for a complete and comprehensive evaluation of exposure to surface soil from a public health perspective. However, the construction of 6-foot fence around the site should help minimize the potential for exposure to on-site soil contaminants.
Comment:
A respondent felt that the NJDOH request in the Public Health Assessment for additional methane gas monitoring, particularly in the homes located near the landfill, was not necessary. They felt that the methane gas monitoring that has been and is being performed at the site is sufficient to detect any gas that may migrate towards the residences.
Response:
Although the methane monitoring program does not include sampling of residential indoor air, we agree that the revised monitoring program suggested by the NJDEPE should be sufficient to detect landfill gases before they pose a threat to nearby residences. The Public Helath Action Plan has been revised to include this action by NJDEPE.
Comment:
A respondent felt that the NJDOH request in the Public Health Assessment to restrict public access to the site would be satisfied through the installation of a 6-foot chain link fence.
Response:
The NJDOH identified a need to restrict public access to the site. This is currently being addressed by the construction of a perimeter fence. The Public Health Action Plan has been revised to include this action by NJDEPE.
Comment:
A respondent felt that the NJDOH request in the Public Health Assessment for various health and safety issues, which could arise during landfill closure and remediation, would be satisfied by the Site Health and Safety Plan that they prepared in November 1989.
Response:
The NJDOH identified a need for various health and safety and occupational issues to be addressed at the site. These concerns should be satisfied by the Site Health and Safety Plan prepared in November 1989.
