News Releases from Region 02
EPA Announces Change to Cleanup Plan for Lightman Drum Company Superfund Site
EPA to hold public meeting on September 11
NEW YORK – Because levels of contamination in groundwater are falling naturally, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to amend part of its previous plan to clean up an area of the Lightman Drum Company Superfund site in Winslow Township, New Jersey. The amendment revises the plan to require continued monitoring of natural decreases of contaminants in former areas of highly-contaminated groundwater, or hot spots, and no longer requires groundwater to be extracted and treated.
“This revised cleanup plan represents significant environmental progress for the people of New Jersey and the restoration of land and groundwater impacted by the contamination,” said EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez. “EPA is moving forward with a scientifically and economically sound approach to clean up the Lightman Drum Company Superfund site while maintaining the protection of human health and the environment.”
EPA’s proposed amendment to the previous cleanup plan recommends a process of monitored natural attenuation - a naturally occurring reduction of levels of contamination - in the former hot spots. Part of EPA’s original cleanup plan selected in 2009 required treating the groundwater in hot spots that contained high concentrations of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE). However, because contaminated soil that was the original source of contamination to the groundwater was removed, groundwater contaminant levels are decreasing naturally and are no longer considered hot spots. Existing monitoring and control networks will continue to function in former hotspots for the duration of the project and will be periodically sampled.
EPA will hold a public meeting on September 11, 2019 at 6:30pm to both further discuss and answer questions about the proposed amendment for the selected area. The meeting will take place at Bud Duble (Winslow Township) Senior Center, 33 Cooper Folly Rd., Atco, New Jersey. In addition, any and all public comments will be accepted until September 24th, 2019.
Written comments on EPA's proposed plan may be mailed or emailed to: Renee Gelblat, Remedial Project Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 290 Broadway, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10007, Email: gelblat.renee@epa.gov
Background
The Lightman Drum Company Superfund site covers about 15 acres in Winslow Township, Camden County, New Jersey. From 1974 to 1979, the Lightman Drum Company was a former industrial waste hauling and drum reclamation business that stored chemical residues in underground storage tanks, drums and trailers. Drums were emptied in a pit in a wooded area of the property and facility operations contaminated soil and groundwater with various hazardous chemicals, such as pesticides, oil sludges, paints, and ink. In October 1999, EPA placed the site on the Superfund National Priorities List and contaminated soil was removed in 2007. In 2009, EPA issued a Record of Decision, or cleanup plan, that required treatment of contaminated soil source areas and contaminated groundwater.
EPA’s proposed amendment to the Lightman Drum Company Superfund site 2009 Record of Decision, site background, and other documents is available at www.epa.gov/superfund/lightman-drum.
For information about Superfund and the NPL: http://www.epa.gov/superfund
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