![[logo] US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
North Belmont PCE
National Information
Photos/Multimedia
Site photo goes here.
- Additional Site Photos
- Site Video
Additional Resources
- Site Cleanup Terms - can be found in EPA's glossary
- EPA Guides to Cleanup Technologies
- Superfund Community Involvement (PDF) (17 pp, 130K, About PDF)
Site Summary Profile
EPA ID: NCD986187128Location: Belmont, Gaston County, NC
Lat/Long: 35.273470, -081.051250
Congressional District: 08
NPL Status: Proposed: 04/23/99; Final: 07/22/99
Affected Media: Ground water, Soil
Cleanup Status: Construction Complete – Physical cleanup activities have been completed.
Site Reuse/Redevelopment: Continued Commercial and Residential Use – The site includes a shopping center and surrounding residential properties.
Site Manager: Michael Townsend (townsend.michael@epa.gov)
Site Background
The North Belmont PCE site consists of two closed dry cleaning operations located in North Belmont, Gaston County, North Carolina. The main source area was the site of a dry cleaning establishment that operated from 1960 to 1975. A boiler located behind the building was used to "distill" the waste dry cleaning solvents. The spent solvent residue from the boiler distillation unit was reportedly disposed onto the ground surface behind the building, and spent solvents were disposed through the on-site septic tank system. The other source area was also operated as a dry cleaning prior to 1960.
Threats and Contaminants
In February 1991, a sampling effort by the Gaston County Health Department found significant volatile organic compound contamination in a residential well that supplied drinking water to an elementary school and two homes. Further investigation found that sixteen residential drinking water wells were contaminated with tetrachloroethene (PCE) as well as with PCE breakdown products. Well concentrations of PCE were found to be as high as 15,000 parts per billion (ppb).
Site Cleanup Plan
The Record of Decision (ROD) for the site was issued in 1997. Major cleanup elements for the site included:
- Installation of an in-well vapor stripping system to treat contaminated ground water that is above Maximum Contaminant Levels or the North Carolina Ground Water Standards, whichever are more protective for each particular contaminant.
- In-situ bioremediation.
- Connection of affected residences, businesses, churches, etc. currently not on city water to the City of Belmont or Gaston County public water supply.
- Optional wellhead treatment for affected private wells.
- Continued analytical monitoring for contaminants in ground water.
Cleanup Progress
EPA connected the elementary school and twenty-nine of the neighborhood drinking water wells to the City of Belmont’s municipal water system. Public water supply connections were completed in January 2000.
The construction of the in-well circulation and vapor stripping ground water treatment system was completed in March 2004. The ground water treatment system has been temporarily taken offline while options for discharging treated ground water are evaluated. Investigation of alternatives is currently underway.
Site cleanup activities are being led primarily by EPA.
Enforcement Activities
Community Involvement
EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the North Belmont PCE site to solicit community input and to ensure that the public remains informed about site activities throughout the site cleanup process. Outreach activities have included public notices, interviews, and public meetings on cleanup activities and updates.
Future Work
This site is subject to Five-Year Reviews (FYRs). The first FYR for the site is currently underway, and it is anticipated to be completed in the summer of 2009.
Site Administrative Documents
Site Repository
For more information or to view any site-related documents, please visit the site information repository at the following location. As new documents are generated, they will be placed in the information repository for public information.
Gaston County Public Library-Belmont Branch
111 Central Avenue
Belmont, NC 28012
Administrative Record Index
For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.