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Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Southland Corporation in Great Meadows, New Jersey

On this page:

  • Cleanup Status
  • Site Description
  • Contaminants at this Facility
  • Site Responsibility

Cleanup Status

The site is being remediated by Southland pursuant to an Administrative Consent Order with New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), under the NJDEP Property Transfer Program. Areas of contaminated soil, both on-site and off-site, have been remediated (e.g., excavated, bioremediated), and engineering controls (e.g., capping) have been implemented in areas where contamination remains in excess of New Jersey non-residential soil standards.

An interim groundwater extraction and treatment system, consisting of extraction wells and two collection trenches, was replaced in 2000. The interim system was replaced with air sparging and soil vapor extraction (AS/SVE) systems in the former production area and along the eastern property boundary. The AS/SVE systems were modified with biosparge systems in 2005. Also, groundwater was treated using oxygen releasing compound system (ORCS) in a former manufacturing area. The treatment systems rely on in-situ remediation of contaminants through volatilization, oxidation, and enhanced biological processes in the subsurface. In addition, liquid chemical product has been collected periodically from a well beneath the ground surface. 

The groundwater and surface water at and adjacent to the facility are being monitored and sampled to continue to evaluate the effectiveness of the groundwater treatment systems and to assure that the migration of contaminated groundwater is under control. A deed notice was implemented for various areas of the site where contaminants remain in soil above New Jersey residential standards. No drinking water wells will be allowed in any area where groundwater contamination exceeds drinking water standards.


Site Description

The Southland Corporation site is located on Alphano Road, 277 acres in Great Meadows, Independence Township, Warren County, New Jersey. Gamma Chemical Company owned and operated the facility from 1950 to 1966, followed by Ashland Chemical Company from 1966 to 1978, and Southland Corporation from 1979 to 1988. 

The facility produced and processed specialty organic chemicals, and manufactured chemical intermediates for dyestuffs, pharmaceuticals, and industrial products. All operations at the facility ceased in 1988. From 1988 to present, 7-Eleven, Inc. (formerly the Southland Corporation) has continued to maintain ownership and conduct remedial activities at the site. All industrial structures were demolished and removed from the site.


Contaminants at this Facility

Contamination at the site primarily exists in the former chemical manufacturing and waste disposal areas, and is due to former operations such as spills and releases, as well as overflows from the wastewater and process lagoons. Site characterization activities identified volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (benzene, chlorobenzene, 1, 2-dichloroethane), metals (arsenic), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the soil. VOCs (benzene, chlorobenzene, 1, 2-dichloroethane) and metals (arsenic) are present in the groundwater.


Site Responsibility at this Facility

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action activities at this facility have been conducted under the direction of EPA Region 2.