Clean up underway after thousands of gallons of wastewater spilled at Burlington County landfill
Officials estimate between 5,000 and 25,000 gallons of wastewater spilled at a Florence landfill near a popular waterway.
Burlington County officials are working to clean up a major wastewater spill at a Florence Township landfill that could have entered a local waterway.
Workers with a wastewater hauling company discovered a crack on the cap of a leachate cleanout pipe around 4 a.m. Tuesday, the county said. An investigation into the cause is ongoing.
As a result of the break, officials estimate that between 5,000 and 25,000 gallons of wastewater from the Burlington County Resource Recovery Complex had spilled onto the ground and then spread into a detention basin with an outfall to the Assiscunk Creek.
“It’s possible some wastewater may have entered the water before the spill was contained, however, there are not anticipated impacts,” David Levinsky, a public information officer with the county, said Wednesday.
No nearby residences or businesses were impacted by the spill.
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The county’s Department of Solid Waste and Recycling is now working with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to clean up the spill and remediate the area.
The immediate area where the spill occurred has been treated and the county anticipates completing all remaining remediation actions on Thursday, the county said.
The Assiscunk Creek is a 17-mile tributary of the Delaware River that is a popular fishing, kayaking, and birdwatching spot for South Jersey locals. Assiscunk Creek Park is a series of three preserves along the creek that are connected by walking and bike trails with sports fields, playgrounds, gazebos, and benches overlooking the creek.