EPA Proposes Plan to Remove Pollutants from Former Sherwin-Williams Plant in Gibbsboro, New Jersey
$14 Million Cleanup to Address Lead, Arsenic and Volatile Organic Compounds
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposes a plan. It aims to clean up contaminated soil from residential properties at the Sherwin-Williams/Hilliards Creek Superfund site. This site includes a former paint manufacturing plant and the waters of Hilliards Creek. These waters flow into Kirkwood Lake. Soil and groundwater beneath the former plant contain lead, arsenic, and volatile organic compounds. Additionally, sediment in and near Hilliards Creek shows contamination with lead and arsenic.
Exposure
Lead exposure poses serious, long-term health risks for both adults and children. It affects their physical and mental well-being. In children, even low levels of lead cause significant I.Q. deficiencies. Consequently, these deficiencies hinder academic performance and limit future opportunities. Additionally, lead exposure leads to reading and learning disabilities. As a result, children face challenges throughout their educational journey. Moreover, it can impair hearing, affecting social interactions and communication skills. These issues also reduce attention spans and increase hyperactivity. Thus, children experience various behavioral problems that disrupt daily life and family dynamics. In adults, lead exposure raises the risks of hypertension, kidney damage, and reproductive issues.
Particularly in pregnant individuals, lead exposure poses a severe risk. It can indeed harm developing fetuses, potentially leading to complications such as low birth weight or developmental delays. Beyond lead, other toxic substances like arsenic and volatile organic compounds can significantly damage people’s health. These substances disrupt environmental integrity, highlighting the importance of addressing these hazards for the well-being of future generations.
Remediation Plan
EPA proposes to remediate contaminated soil at about 33 residential properties in Gibbsboro and Voorhees. They will dig up the soil and dispose of it at licensed facilities. After excavation, they will backfill these areas with clean soil. If appropriate, they will then replant vegetation. The aim is to restore these areas. The agency has shared data from residential soil sampling at 55 properties with the owners. Some additional properties may also need cleanup. Under the proposed plan, EPA will determine how many properties need soil remediation. They will do this after more sampling during the project’s design phase. Furthermore, the EPA will coordinate with property owners or occupants to minimize disruption. They will also monitor the air quality near the work areas.
“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.”
Sherwin-Williams/Hilliard’s Creek Site
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. These contaminants 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. High levels of various contaminants including lead, arsenic, and volatile organic compounds are present. Hilliards Creek, Kirkwood Lake, the Gibbsboro Nature Preserve, and residential areas have been impacted and require a cleanup.
Sherwin-Williams
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. The company removed 44,785 gallons of liquid waste. They installed a soil vapor extraction treatment system to reduce the volatile organic compounds in the soil near two former plant buildings. They also installed fencing to limit access to some source areas and took other steps to address the pollution.
The EPA oversaw an in-depth investigation of the extent of the contamination 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. It 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. This ensures that those responsible for environmental degradation contribute to its restoration.
EPA Orders to Sherwin-Williams
To achieve this goal, the EPA actively searches for parties legally responsible for contamination at sites on the Superfund list. It conducts thorough investigations and legal processes. The EPA holds those parties accountable for cleanup costs. This process includes evaluations and monitoring. These steps ensure the safety of affected communities. Importantly, the EPA anticipates an efficient $14 million soil cleanup of residential properties impacted by the Sherwin-Williams/Hilliards Creek site, the Route 561 Dump site, and the United States Avenue Burn site. Additionally, any responsible party will fund this cleanup.
This process is critical, as it not only aims to restore the local environment but also to protect the health and well-being of residents living in proximity to these contaminated sites. This cleanup endeavor will be executed with rigorous oversight by the EPA. This ensures that all actions taken meet federal standards and regulations, ultimately fostering accountability and transparency in the remediation efforts.
To view the proposed plan for the Sherwin-Williams/Hilliards Creek Superfund site, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/sherwin/.
Follow the EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/eparegion2.
