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**DLPARTMENT OF**  **ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTTON**  **P.O.Box402 MAIL**  **CODE 401-07**  **Trenton, NJ**  **08625-0402 TEL:**  **# (609)**  **292-2885 FAX#**  **(609) 292-7695**  **CHRIS CHRISTIE**  **Governor**

**!UM GUADAGNO**  **Lt. Governor**  **BOB MARTIN**  **Conimissioner**

**July 9,**  **2015**
**Judith Enck,**  **Administrator U.S.**  **Environmental Protection**  **Agency Region**  **2 290**  **Broadway New**  **York, NY**  **10007-1866**

**Re: Nomination**  **for National**  **Priorities List**  **of Superfund Sites**  **Former Kil-Tone**  **Company 527** **East Chestnut Street**  **City of** **Vineland, Cumberland**  **County NJDEP/SRP**  **PI#648249**

**Dear Ms.**  **Enck:**

**The New**  **Jersey Department**  **of Environmental Protection**  **(NJDEP) nominates**  **the former**  **Kil Tone Company**  **site in**  **the City**  **of Vineland, Cumberland**  **County for**  **inclusion on**  **the National**  **Priorities List**  **(NPL) of**  **Superfund sites.**  **Elevated levels**  **of arsenic**  **and lead**  **contamination found**  **in soil**  **at commercial**  **and residential**  **properties associated**  **with the**  **Kil-Tone Company's former**  **pesticide operations**  **require further**  **immediate and**  **long-term actions**  **to protect**  **public health.**  **Significant arsenic**  **and lead**  **contamination in**  **sediment and**  **surface water**  **also were**  **measured in** 
**a waterway leading**  **from the**  **former Kil-** **Tone Company**  **site to** **the Maurice**  **River.**

**NJDEP referred**  **the former Kil-Tone Company**  **site to** **the U.S.**  **Environmental Protection**  **Agency (EPA)**  **on November**  **14, 2014**  **for removal**  **action consideration**  **under the**  **federal Comprehensive**  **Environmental Response, Compensation**  **and Liability**  **Act (CERCLA).**  **EPA accepted**  **the referral**  **and initiated**  **additional sampling**  **to confirm** **NJDEP results and**  **investigate additional properties.** 

**NJDEP soil**  **sampling in** **August 2014**  **in the**  **area of** **the former**  **Kil-Tone Company**  **site, an**  **active Vineland**  **pesticide plant**  **for many**  **years during**  **the 1910s**  **through the**  **1930s, found**  **elevated levels**  **of arsenic**  **at 12** **residential and**  **commercial properties,**  **nine of** **which exhibited**  **surface (0­**  **6 inch)**  **contamination above**  **state cleanup**  **standards. Elevated**  **levels of lead**  **contamination were**  **found in**  **soil at six**  **residential and**  **commercial properties,**  **five of**  **which also**  **exhibited arsenic**  **contamination. NJDEP**  **conducted the**  **site investigation**  **work under**  **an EPA**  **grant at**  **the former**  **Kil-Tone Company**  **site and**  **adjacent properties.**  **The former**  **Kil-Tone Company**  **site is**  **owned by** 

**1Vev<1 Jersey**  **is an Equal**  **Opportunity Employer**  **• Prinled** **on Recycled** **Paper and** **Recyclable Urban**  **Manufacturing LLC,**  **also known**  **as Urban**  **Si gn**  **and Crane,**  **which purchased**  **the property**  **in 2008**  **for the**  **manufacturing of** **commercial signs.** 

**EPA conducted sampling**  **in January**  **and February**  **2015 at**  **27 residential**  **properties located**  **closest to**  **the former**  **Kil-Tone Company**  **site. Results**  **of this**  **sampling indicated**  **elevated concentrations**  **of lead**  **and arsenic**  **exceeding EP** **A's removal**  **management levels**  **and state**  **cleanup standards in** **the surface**  **soils at**  **19 of** **the 27**  **residential properties sampled.**  **EPA plans**  **to install**  **interim remedies**  **during summer**  **2015 that**  **will include**  **a temporary**  **soil and**  **grass cover**  **and also provide raised**  **garden beds. The**  **interim action**  **will be**  **taken on**  **18 properties**  **that are**  **closest to**  **the former**  **Kil-Tone Company**  **site uutil**  **a more permanent**  **action can**  **be taken**  **to address**  **the elevated arsenic and**  **lead concentrations.**  **EPA also**  **conducted sediment,**  **flood plain**  **and surface**  **water sampling**  **along the**  **Tarkiln Branch**  **and portions**  **of the**  **Parvin Branch** **that found**  **elevated arsenic**  **and lead**  **contamination from the former Kil-Tone**  **Company site** **along the** **tributaries of** **the Maurice**  **River.**

**The former**  **Kil-Tone Company**  **manufactured arsenic-based**  **pesticides at**  **the Vineland**  **site from** **the late**  **1910s until**  **the late 1930s.**  **John Lucas**  **& Company,**  **Inc. acquired**  **the former**  **Kil Tone**  **Company in**  **the 1920s,**  **forming Lucas**  **Kil-Tone Co.,**  **which eventually**  **became a**  **subsidiary of Sherwin**  **Williams Co.**  **in the**  **1930s. NJDEP**  **will work**  **with EPA**  **to ensure**  **potential responsible**  **parties are**  **identified and**  **pursued to**  **conduct and**  **fund all**  **required remedial**  **actions for** **this site.** 

**NJDEP requests**  **EPA Region**  **2's Emergency**  **and Remedial**  **Response Division**  **expand upon**  **past removal**  **assessment studies**  **at the**  **former Kil-Tone Company**  **site to**  **fully delineate soil**  **and grouud**  **water contamination**  **and implement appropriate permanent measures**  **to protect**  **human health and**  **ensure safe**  **reuse of** **the commercial**  **and residential**  **properties. Due**  **to the**  **scope of remedial work**  **anticipated to**  **investigate and**  **clean up**  **arsenic and lead contamination**  **in soil,**  **sediment, groundwater**  **and surface**  **water, it**  **is appropriate**  **that the**  **former Kil-Tone**  **Company site** **be proposed**  **for the**  **NPL.**

**NJDEP appreciates**  **the opportunity**  **to participate**  **in the**  **dee' ion-making**  **process to**  **nominate the**  **former Kil-Tone**  **Company site**  **for Nfl+**  **status and**  **is I**  **oking forward**  **to future**  **cooperation with**  **EPA during** **remedial work**  **at th** **e .**  **Sin V1** 

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**I}qb Martin**  **Clpmmissioner**

**C: Mark**  **J. Pedersen,**  **Assistant Commissioner,**  **DEP, Site** **Remediation Program Kem1eth**  **J. Kloo,**  **Director, DEP,**  **Division of** **Remediation Management**  **Walter Mugdan,**  **Director, EPA,** **Emergency and**  **Remedial Response**  **Division Angela**  **Carpenter, Deputy**  **Director, EPA, Emergency**  **and Remedial**  **Response Division** 

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