EPA Finalizes Plan for Next Phase of Cleanup at the Sherwin-Williams/Hilliards Creek Superfund Site in New Jersey

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA Finalizes Plan for Next Phase of Cleanup at the Sherwin-Williams/Hilliards Creek Superfund Site in New Jersey

NEW YORK (October 1, 2021) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized its cleanup plan to address waterbodies of the Sherwin-Williams/Hilliards Creek Site in Gibbsboro, Lindenwold, and Voorhees, New Jersey. The final decision, in the form of a Record of Decision (ROD), calls for the dredging of contaminated sediment, along with the excavation and capping of floodplain soil at Kirkwood Lake (Voorhees and Lindenwold), Silver Lake, Bridgewood Lake and Hilliards Creek (Gibbsboro).

“This final decision addresses the communities’ expressed desire that we clean up contamination in these waterbodies and it protects people from exposure to arsenic and lead contamination in the soil and sediment while preserving valued community wetlands,” said acting Regional Administrator Walter Mugdan. “Finalizing this cleanup plan, which reflects close coordination with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, allows us to move forward with our continuing work to protect the communities impacted by this and the other associated sites.”

There are three Sherwin-Williams Superfund sites that are sources of contamination to several waterbodies located within the municipalities of Gibbsboro, Voorhees, and Lindenwold, New Jersey. Contamination from past paint manufacturing originates within the area of the Former Manufacturing Plant (Sherwin-Williams/Hilliards Creek Superfund Site), the Route 561 Dump Site, and the United States Avenue Burn Superfund Site. These source areas are being cleaned up under separate actions. Contaminants from these three sites have moved downstream throughout the lakes and creeks within Gibbsboro, Voorhees and Lindenwold.

Under the plan, 128,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment will be dredged from Silver Lake, Bridgewood Lake, Kirkwood Lake, and Hilliards Creek. EPA will also oversee the construction of a system to temporarily divert streams during the cleanup work.

The EPA plan also requires that about 42,000 cubic yards of the top two feet of soil located within the floodplain areas be removed and capped. The cleanup plan provides for treatment, transport and disposal of excavated sediment and soil off-site at a permitted facility. EPA will also put institutional controls in the form of deed restrictions into place. EPA will conduct a review within five years to ensure the effectiveness of the cleanup. The estimated cost of this cleanup is approximately $90 million.

On April 1, 2021, EPA proposed this plan to the public and held a virtual public meeting on April 12, 2021, to explain the plan and take comments. The Record of Decision released today addresses the comments received and formalizes EPA’s selected cleanup plan.

EPA’s Record of Decision and the agency’s responses to public comments will be available at https://www.epa.gov/superfund/sherwin-williams

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