EPA Finalizes Vineland Floodplain Cleanup

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized a cleanup plan to remove dangerous levels of arsenic and lead from the soil on about 55 residential and other properties in the floodplain of the Tarkiln Branch in Vineland, New Jersey. The contamination stems from the former Kil-Tone Co., which manufactured pesticides at the site from the late 1910s to the early 1930s. Hazardous waste releases from the facility reached the stream, leaving polluted sediment on lands downstream.

Under the finalized remedy, the EPA will excavate all contaminated soil down to the full extent of contamination and haul it away for off-site disposal, then restore the properties. The work will begin immediately on properties where owners have granted permission, as private land access is voluntary. For any parcels where full soil removal is not possible, the agency will record deed notices and provide long-term maintenance to ensure protection. The former Kil-Tone facility was added to the National Priorities List in 2016, and the EPA has already completed cleanup at 85 nearby residential properties.

“When I visited this community with U.S. Representative Jeff Van Drew, I reiterated EPA’s mission to protect our air, land, and water,” an agency official said. “We are taking decisive action to safeguard Vineland families from arsenic and lead in soil.”

Significantly, the Trump EPA reestablished a senior-level committee in 2025 focused on reducing children’s lead exposure nationwide, signaling a broader push to tackle legacy lead risks alongside site-specific cleanups like this one.

Kil-Tone’s Legacy and the National Lead Exposure Challenge

The Vineland floodplain cleanup is a textbook example of the Superfund program addressing long-abandoned industrial legacies. Kil-Tone operated for roughly two decades a century ago, yet its arsenic and lead residues persisted in soil for nearly a hundred years. The 2016 NPL listing was a critical step, but practical progress on the floodplain is only now accelerating. The process also underscores the program’s enduring tension: while the EPA can compel cleanup at the source facility, it must negotiate with individual property owners to access off-site contamination, potentially dragging out remediation in some areas.

The plan’s reliance on deed notices as a backup where full removal isn’t feasible illustrates that not all legacy pollution can be completely erased. That points to a reality many Superfund communities face—permanent institutional controls that keep the contamination in place but restrict land use. For Vineland, this means some parcels could carry long-term stigma and monitoring obligations.

Nationally, the EPA’s reestablished lead committee reflects a recognition that site-level cleanups alone won’t solve pervasive lead exposure. The agency’s focus on “streamlining risk communication” and “unleashing private sector innovation” suggests it may lean on partnerships to accelerate remediation and public awareness. While this specific plan tackles one contaminated stream corridor, the committee’s work could eventually influence Superfund policy and funding for other aging lead sites.

What the Cleanup Plan Means for Affected Property Owners

  • Property owners in the designated Tarkiln Branch floodplain area will be contacted by the EPA to request permission for excavation; cleanup cannot start on private land without the owner’s consent.
  • After soil removal, the land will be restored to its previous condition. Where complete removal is not feasible, the EPA will file deed notices and maintain the property over the long term.
  • Residents with concerns about lead or arsenic exposure can reach their local health department or the EPA’s regional office for information and testing guidance, though no immediate health emergency has been declared.