RT has been the lead environmental consultant on a long-term landfill closure and redevelopment project located in Bellmawr and Deptford, New Jersey.  The 113-acre site is home to three adjacently located historic landfills that operated from the 1960’s to 1970’s.  Due to improper closure of the landfills, soil, groundwater, and surface water contamination remained on the site to a degree that exceeded public and environmental health and safety standards.  With the exception of a composting facility operated by the Borough of Bellmawr in the mid-1990’s, the property had since remained unused and underutilized, with limited to no access to natural areas bordering Big Timber Creek.  In 2009, the landfills were designated as a Brownfield Development Area by the Borough of Bellmawr and Township of Deptford through an agreement with NJDEP, with the goal to revitalize the area by remediating the landfills and bringing the property back to productive reuse through redevelopment. The project is managed by a public-private partnership between the municipalities, and a private developer who has completed several large projects for the restoration of The Port of Philadelphia.  The project has also received significant funding from the State of New Jersey through the state’s Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund.

RT completed the three-year long remedial investigation of the landfills, and developed a landfill closure plan per current NJDEP Division of Solid and Hazardous Waste regulations.  In addition to obtaining a landfill closure plan permit, several other permits were required for implementation of remedial activities.  RT worked in collaboration with the site’s civil engineer and developer to obtain permits for industrial stormwater discharges, freshwater wetlands mitigation, waterfront development, tidelands licenses, and conservation easements. Major remedial actions included the importation of 8 million tons of soil, installation of a 1,700-foot long low-permeability cutoff wall, installation of a steel bulkhead along the creek, and installation of over 2,000 feet of stormwater piping.

The redevelopment plans for the site include construction of an industrial park facility providing nearly one million square feet of warehouse spaces, and a public park consisting of a mile-long pedestrian walkway adorned with pavilions, benches, and overlook platforms along Big Timber Creek.  Construction is slated to begin in the Fall of 2025.