Lightman Drum Company

Overview

The Lightman Drum Company site covers 15 acres in Winslow Township, Camden County, New Jersey. From 1974 to 1979, the property handled industrial waste and reclaimed drums, leaving soil and groundwater contaminated with pesticides, solvents, paints, and oils. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in October 1999. The NPL identifies sites that need formal investigation and cleanup.

Sixteen chemicals are listed as contaminants of concern. Most were found in groundwater across the whole site and include benzene, trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, vinyl chloride, arsenic, cadmium, antimony, xylene, ethylbenzene, and several other solvents and industrial compounds. Ethylbenzene, tetrachloroethene, and trichloroethene were also found in on-site soils.

Cleanup has been divided into two operable units. An air sparging and soil vapor extraction system ran from 2013 through 2019, pulling contaminants out of the ground as vapors and capturing them. That work achieved large reductions in contamination levels. In 2019, EPA updated its cleanup plan to let the larger groundwater area recover naturally under ongoing monitoring instead of requiring active extraction. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) set up a Classification Exception Area in January 2020 to block groundwater use for drinking water. A small area of remaining soil contamination was identified in late 2023, and EPA and the responsible parties agreed to remove it, with work targeted for completion by the end of 2024. Construction across the entire site was completed in September 2021, and the site reached sitewide ready-for-anticipated-reuse status in July 2025. Human exposure to contamination is under control, and contaminated groundwater migration has been stabilized. Groundwater monitoring continues under the natural recovery plan, and a five-year review is estimated between September and November 2026.

The site is already in active use. United Cooperage operates a drum and barrel business on the property, employing 7 people and generating an estimated $810,000 in annual sales as of December 2024. Community members with questions can reach EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator, Joel Waddell, by email or phone. Site records are available in person at the EPA Superfund Records Center in New York City or at the Camden County Library South County Branch in Atco, New Jersey.