U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a cleanup plan to remove arsenic- and lead-contaminated soil from floodplain properties along the Tarkiln Branch of the Maurice River in Vineland. The proposal calls for excavating contaminated soil, transporting it off-site for disposal, and restoring impacted properties. This will allow EPA to remove contamination from residential and commercial properties and protect human health while continuing its broader investigation of contaminated sediment, surface water, and groundwater connected to the former Kil-Tone Company pesticide manufacturing facility.
“EPA is taking action to protect Vineland families from arsenic and lead in soil,” said EPA Regional Administrator Michael Martucci. “This proposed plan focuses on the properties where action is needed in the shorter term and builds on years of EPA continued work to address broader contamination from the former Kil-Tone facility.”
The former Kil-Tone Company operated a pesticide manufacturing facility at 527 East Chestnut Avenue in Vineland from the late 1910s to the early 1930s. Those operations released arsenic and lead, contaminating the former facility, nearby properties, and downstream areas along the Tarkiln Branch. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in 2016 and has since completed cleanup work at 85 nearby residential properties, with additional cleanup continuing at the former facility and nearby non-residential properties. This proposed plan would allow EPA to move ahead more quickly on floodplain properties while other site investigations continue.
EPA is accepting public comments on the proposed plan for 30 days, ending July 13. The public may submit written comments to Dan Patal, Remedial Project Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 290 Broadway, 18th floor, New York, NY 10007 or by email to Patel.Dushyant@epa.gov.
