Sherwin-Williams/Hilliards Creek

Overview

Paint manufacturing at this Gibbsboro, New Jersey facility ran from the mid-1800s until 1977, leaving behind widespread contamination in soil, groundwater, surface water, and sediment. The site sits on the EPA's National Priorities List, having been proposed in 2006 and finalized in 2008. Cleanup is organized into four operable units covering residential properties, broader soils, groundwater, and sediments in nearby waterways including Silver Lake, Hilliards Creek, Bridgewood Lake, and Kirkwood Lake.

Contaminants found at the site include lead, arsenic, chromium, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), benzene, naphthalene, pentachlorophenol, cyanide, and methane in soil gas. Some contaminants appear in fish tissue as well as soil and sediment. Shallow groundwater beneath the former plant contains volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds that can evaporate upward and, in some cases, enter buildings through cracks in basement slabs. Sediment and soil in the nearby lakes and creek contain lead and arsenic above state cleanup standards.

The Sherwin-Williams Company is the responsible party carrying out cleanup under EPA oversight. Between 2016 and 2022, the company removed 52,700 tons of contaminated soil from 49 residential properties, completing that phase in February 2022. Excavation of contaminated soil at the former manufacturing plant north of Foster Avenue began in spring 2024. Designs for cleanup south of Foster Avenue and sediment removal from the lakes and creek are being prepared, and will include in-situ bioremediation treatment. EPA finalized a cleanup plan for groundwater in September 2025, with remedial design for that unit estimated to begin between June and August 2026. Sediment cleanup is projected to run from 2026 through early 2028. Human exposure is currently under control according to EPA assessments, but groundwater migration is not yet stabilized and cleanup construction remains incomplete.

As of December 2024, three businesses operate on-site, employing 23 people and generating about $2.5 million in annual sales revenue. EPA's Superfund Redevelopment Program is supporting the site's return to productive use. Site records can be viewed at EPA's Records Center at 290 Broadway, 18th floor, in New York City, or at Gibbsboro Borough Hall and Library at 49 Kirkwood Road in Gibbsboro, New Jersey. Community members can also reach out directly to site contacts or engage through EPA's Community Involvement Program to stay informed and participate in cleanup decisions.