$14 Million Cleanup to Address Lead, Arsenic and Volatile
Organic Compounds
Contact: John Martin, 212-637-3662, martin.johnj@epa.gov
(New York, N.Y. – June 1, 2015) The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency has proposed a plan to clean up contaminated soil from
residential properties at the Sherwin-Williams/Hilliards Creek Superfund site
in Gibbsboro and Voorhees, New Jersey. The site includes a former paint
manufacturing plant and the waters of Hilliards Creek which flow into Kirkwood
Lake. The soil and the groundwater beneath the former paint manufacturing site
are contaminated with lead, arsenic and volatile organic compounds. Sediment in
and near Hilliards Creek are contaminated with lead and arsenic.
Lead exposure can have serious, long-term health
consequences in adults and children. Even at low levels, lead in children can cause
I.Q. deficiencies, reading and learning disabilities, impaired hearing, reduced
attention spans, hyperactivity and other behavioral problems. Lead exposure can
also cause health problems in pregnant women and harm fetuses. Arsenic and
volatile organic compounds can damage people’s health and the environment.
EPA is proposing to remediate contaminated soil on
approximately 33 residential properties in Gibbsboro and Voorhees. The soil
would be dug up and properly disposed of at facilities licensed to handle the
waste. The excavated areas would be backfilled with clean soil, replanted with
vegetation, if appropriate, and restored. Data from residential soil sampling
at 55 properties sampled for potential action has been shared with the property
owners. Additional properties may require a cleanup and under the proposed plan
EPA would determine the precise number of residential properties that would
need soil remediation after additional sampling during the design phase of the
project. The EPA will coordinate with the property owners or occupants to
ensure that the work is done with minimal disruption. EPA will monitor the air
near the work areas.
The EPA will hold a public meeting on June 11, 2015 to
explain the proposed plan and is encouraging public comments. The meeting will
be held at 7:00 p.m. at the Gibbsboro Senior Center, 250 Haddonfield-Berlin
Road, Gibbsboro, New Jersey. Comments will be accepted until July 2, 2015.
“Lead is a toxic metal that can cause damage to a child’s
ability to learn and a range of other health problems,” said EPA Regional
Administrator Judith Enck. “It is imperative that the contamination on
residential properties is addressed to protect people’s health.”
The Sherwin-Williams/Hilliard’s Creek site along with the
Route 561 Dump site and the United States Avenue Burn Superfund site, located
in Gibbsboro, are sources of contaminated soil and sediment, which have spread
onto a number of residential properties within Gibbsboro and Voorhees. Paint manufacturing and related activities at
the sites resulted in widespread contamination of soil, sediment and
groundwater with high levels of various contaminants including lead, arsenic
and volatile organic compounds. Hilliards Creek, Kirkwood Lake, the Gibbsboro
Nature Preserve and residential areas have been impacted and require a cleanup.
Under previous regulatory orders by the New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection and the EPA, Sherwin-Williams has
removed 8,096 cubic yards of sludge from a former lagoon area, removed 44,785
gallons of liquid waste, installed a soil vapor extraction treatment system to
reduce the volatile organic compounds in the soil near two former plant
buildings, installed fencing to limit access to some source areas and taken
other steps to address the pollution.
The EPA oversaw an in-depth investigation of the extent
of the contamination in order to determine how best to clean it up over the
long term. The proposed soil cleanup on residential properties announced today
builds upon the previous work and precedes additional cleanup action that will
be developed in the future as part of the comprehensive cleanup.
The Superfund program operates on the principle that
polluters should pay for the cleanups, rather than passing the costs to
taxpayers. The EPA searches for parties legally responsible for the
contamination at sites that are placed on the Superfund list and it seeks to
hold those parties accountable for the costs of investigations and cleanups. It
is anticipated that the proposed $14 million soil cleanup of the residential
properties impacted by the Sherwin-Williams/Hilliards Creek site, the Route 561
Dump site and the United States Avenue Burn site will be conducted and paid for
by any such party with oversight by the EPA.
Written comments may be mailed or emailed to:
Ray Klimcsak, Remedial Project Manager
U.S. EPA, 290 Broadway 19th Floor
New York, New York, 10007-1866
(212) 637-3916
Anyone with questions about the soil cleanup or sampling
of their property may call: Pat Seppi, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator at
646-369-0068.