The Kirkwood Lake cleanup decision was supposed to be determined by Oct. 7, giving Sherwin Williams more than two months to respond on how it will be assisting Camden County and EPA with the payment and clean up. However, this decision was delayed because the company contested the cleanup of the residential properties.
“It’s frustrating. Residents are frustrated. I would think Sherwin Williams would be all over this. They are responsible for whatever happens in that lake. The more time goes on, the mores costly it becomes,” said Alice Johnston, president of the Kirkwood Lake Environmental Committee.
From a post on the Kirkwood Lake Clean Up Facebook page, a remedial plan was to take place in September for residents’ review and an ROD issued by end of 2014 with remedial work to be completed in 2015. The reason for the delay, according to Ray Klimcsak, remedial project manager from the EPA, was that Sherwin Williams was contesting the anthropogenic portion of contaminants found on residents’ properties.
Finally, a meeting on Thursday, Oct. 23 between Sherwin Williams and EPA determined that EPA would take the responsibly of the cleanup of residential properties while removal of PAHs elsewhere on the site would be required of Sherwin Williams.
The Camden County proposal to dredge Kirkwood Lake and share costs with the company responsible for contaminating the lake and surrounding areas, which includes residential properties from both Voorhees and Gibbsboro, would save the lake from dying and restore the lake for recreation.
“We’re not going to have a lake if they don’t do something soon,” Johnston said. “It is an exposure issue. Fishing and boating in the lake disturbs the sediments where all of the chemicals are.”
The issue of the removal of PAHs on residential properties has caused the residential remediation investigation to be delayed for approximately one year.
The EPA and Camden County will be meeting with the state Department of Environmental Protection in the next two weeks to discuss dredging and cleanup of the lake.
A public meeting is being held for the Kirkwood Lake cleanup on Monday, Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. at the Voorhees Town Center. Klimcsak, as well as representatives from Sherwin Williams and Camden County, will be at the meeting to present an update on the Hilliard Creek Site and on the lake cleanup as well. The meeting must end at 7:45 p.m. because the township committee work session is the same night.
“We’re hoping there will be a resolution and something to tell residents at the county’s meeting with the NJDEP. We wanted to make sure when we have the public meeting we give them as much information as we can,” Johnston said.
For up-to-date information on the Kirkwood Lake cleanup, like the Kirkwood Lake Clean Up Facebook page, www.facebook. com/KirkwoodLakeCleanUp.
