Gloucester Co. neighborhood now a Superfund site

WEST DEPTFORD, N.J. (WPVI) -- A neighborhood in West Deptford, New Jersey has been declared a federal Superfund site after buried car batteries were found.

In September, the EPA dug up lead and PCB infested battery debris from the property of a home on Birchly Court.

Now, environmental official say they have found enough evidence to link the toxic debris with the Matteo and Sons metal recycling facility, which is a Superfund site just a few miles away.

What's more: the EPA has determined that the contamination goes well beyond this one property.

"Because the project has expanded significantly beyond this property, the EPA is in the process, or has decided, to put the site on the Superfund list," said David Rosoff of the EPA.

The Matteo and Sons facility where car batteries, among other items, were recycled was added to the national Superfund registry about 10 years ago.

Still, EPA officials are coming short of directly blaming Matteo and Sons for the toxic mess that exists in Birchly Court, Oakmont Court, and Woodlane Drive.

That part of the investigation continues.

But adding this community as a subsection of the Matteo Superfund site frees up the money needed to clean up the area.

It's a process that will extend this project well into next year, and likely beyond.

"I would think the soonest that the cleanup actions could take place under the remedial process would be late summer, fall of next year," said Rosoff.

We spoke with neighbors here, many of whom say this information confirms their lingering fears.

"We were really concerned, we have two little boys who live here. There are areas all over that need to be cleaned up, so we're hoping it's sooner rather than later," said Kristen Curry.