Weekly GEMS testing is needed

CourierPOstOnline.com • January 11, 2009


GEMS landfill in Gloucester Township was declared a federal Superfund site in 1982. It wasn't until 1999 that low levels of uranium and radium turned up in environmental tests.The cleanup of GEMS is expected to take 30 years. For all that time and beyond, there should be frequent tests for radioactivity.

GEMS is one of South Jersey's most toxic landfills, and the people who live nearby in Gloucester Township need to know the landfill is being closely monitored.

Wednesday, local government officials applauded a Dec. 17 federal court decision that requires the trust in charge of cleaning up the landfill to continue weekly tests for radioactive materials.

Testing every week means that if there is ever a spike in the amount of radioactive material that starts leaking into the groundwater, officials will know within a few days and can act quickly.

It's better to be overly cautious and test every week, even if no spike in radioactivity is expected. Residents who live near this highly toxic site deserve that much.