Borough residents warned of soil, groundwater contamination

SUSSEX — Some Sussex Borough residents have been notified by an engineering firm that six compounds associated with gasoline have been detected in soil and groundwater around the site of a former Gulf station on Loomis Avenue. The letter, which was sent at the beginning of September to residents who live near the site, indicated that an engineering study detected the presence of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) and tertiary-butyl alcohol (TBA). The letter was sent to area residents by Brilliant Lewis Environmental Services, LLC, a Toms River-based environmental consultant. It’s not clear when the engineering study was done, though the letter states that groundwater sampling has been conducted since May 2001. The letter also mentions that the “extent of known contamination” is approximately 100 feet to the west of the property across Walling Avenue. The property in question is owned by Cumberland Farms, Inc., a Framingham, Mass.-based operator of nearly 600 gas stations and convenience stores in 11 states. According to the letter, Brilliant Lewis will be “investigating and remediating environmental contamination” at the site of the former service station and that nearby residents will be provided with periodic updates on the progress of the work. The work is being performed under rules established by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection which has assigned case number 00-09-19-1059-23 to the project. Peter Morris, a senior project manager for Brilliant Lewis, deferred calls to Martin Hilfinger, a senior project manager at Cumberland Farms. Hilfinger didn’t return calls placed by The Advertiser-News. Several Sussex Borough residents who live near the site who were contacted by The Advertiser-News regarding the environmental study declined to comment on the contamination. But one local resident who lives across the street from the former gas station, Julia Devine, said she’s not concerned about soil or groundwater contamination on her Main Street property since she lives uphill from the site and figures any contaminants would be traveling downhill. Sussex Borough Clerk Catherine Gleason said the borough also received a letter from Brilliant Lewis since Borough Hall is located across the street from the site. However, the borough has not since been contacted by either Cumberland Farms or Brilliant Lewis with any updates, she said.