ATLANTA - On Tuesday, Jan. 13, the E.P.A. (EPA) will hold a public meeting about projects to clean up residual soil contamination at the Benfield Industries, Incorporated Superfund Location in Waynesville, N.C. The meeting will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Haywood Vocational Opportunities Building located at 172 Riverbend Street in Waynesville.
Residual soil contamination associated with the Benfield Location has continued to adversely impact groundwater since the original Location cleanup activities were completed in 2001. The contaminants that have continued to be detected in the groundwater are associated with creosote, and their concentrations are above EPA's Maximum Contaminant Levels for drinking water. E.P.A. has determined that these pose an unacceptable risk to the community due to the potential future use of the groundwater under the Location as a potable source. No adverse impact on the ecosystem was identified.
E.P.A. is proposing a two-step project to clean up this residual contamination. First, hydrogen peroxide will be introduced into the groundwater to oxidize the contaminants into less harmful chemicals. Next, E.P.A. will use microorganisms characteristic of the area to metabolize contaminants found in the soil, converting them into harmless end products. E.P.A. estimates it will take 3 months to complete construction at a cost of $968,000. It is anticipated that the cleanup goal will be achieved within one to 2 years following construction.
E.P.A. is soliciting public comments on the project for 30 days beginning Jan. 13. A copy of the suggested cleanup project and associated documents will be accessible as of Jan. 13 in the Administrative Record, housed at Town of Waynesville City Hall at 16 South Main Street.
Written comments should be submitted by Feb.12, 2015, to
[email protected] or:
Jon Bornholm, E.P.A. Remedial Plan Manager
US E.P.A. Region 4, Superfund Division
61 Forsyth Street SW
Atlanta, Ga. 30303
Community members interested in obtaining additional information about the Location are encouraged to contact Kerisa Coleman, E.P.A. Community Involvement Coordinator, toll-free at 1-877-718-3752 or directly at 404-562-8831 or
[email protected].
The Benfield Location occupies approximately 3.5 acres of a six-acre parcel along Riverbend Street, and was used for industrial purposes from 1904 until a fire destroyed they facility in 1982. Benfield Industries, Incorporated began mixing and packaging bulk chemicals for resale at the property in 1976. 10 above-ground storage tanks of varying capacity (1,000 to 10,000 gallons) were located on the property, including 2 10,000-gallon capacity creosote storage tanks and an 8,000-gallon methanol storage tank. Spills were reported to have occurred in the vicinity of these tanks. Other chemicals reported to have been stored on-site include: lacquer, paint thinner, de-natured alcohol, acetone, xylenes, toluene, and unused oil.
The Benfield Location was suggested for the National Priorities List (NPL) in June 1988 and was finalized in October 1989. Location cleanup activities began in 1997 with the on-site treatment of approximately 23,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil. Following the soil cleanup effort, a groundwater extraction system was installed. All construction activities at the Location were completed in 2001. Between 2001-2007, the extraction system pumped out over 22 million gallons of groundwater which was treated through the town's sewer system.
More information about the Benfield Industries Superfund Site:
http://www.epa.gov/region4/superfund/sites/npl/northcarolina/benflnc.html
Connect with E.P.A. Region four on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/eparegion4
And on Twitter: @EPASoutheast
