![[logo] US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
Weyerhaeuser Company Plymouth Wood Treating Plant
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: NCD991278540Location: Plymouth, Martin County, NC
Lat/Long: 35.674485, -076.785495
Congressional District: 01
NPL Status: Superfund Alternative Site
Affected Media: Fish tissue, Ground water, Sediment, Soil
Cleanup Status: Construction Complete – Physical cleanup activities have been completed.
Site Reuse/Redevelopment: Continued Industrial Use – An active wood and paper products manufacturing facility.
Site Manager: Randy Bryant (bryant.randy@epa.gov)
Site Background
The 2,400-acre Weyerhaeuser Company Plymouth Wood Treating Plant site is an active wood and paper products manufacturing facility located near the confluence of Welch Creek and the Roanoke River in Plymouth, Martin County, North Carolina. The site began operations under the Kieckhefer-Eddy Company in 1937, was managed by the Weyerhaeuser Company from 1957 until 2007, and is currently owned and operated by Domtar Corporation.
The site is not listed on the National Priorities List (NPL), but is considered to be an NPL-caliber site and is being addressed through the Superfund Alternative Approach. This approach uses the same investigation and cleanup process and standards that are used for sites listed on the NPL.
Threats and Contaminants
Site operations have resulted in the contamination of soil, sediments, and ground water with dioxins, dibenzofurans, metals, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Site-related compounds have also been found in tissue of fish and other biota that inhabit surface waters near the site. The areas of the plant that are being investigated include: 1) the Former Chlorine Production Plant, which has contributed to mercury contamination in soil and ground water; 2) the Former Landfill No.1, the former disposal areas for mercury cells from the Chlorine Production Plant; and 3) Welch Creek, which has received pre-permitted discharge of wastewater.
Site Cleanup Plan
The cleanup plan for the Weyerhaeuser site covered four operable units (OUs): OU-1 (Landfill No. 1 Area), OU-2 (Lower Roanoke River), OU-3 (Former Chlorine Plant Area), and OU-4 (Welch Creek Area).
The Record of Decision (ROD) for OU-1 was issued in 2002. Major elements of the cleanup plan included:
- A Cover System consisting of a geotextile barrier and soil and gravel over the entire surface of Landfill No. 1.
- Natural recovery for the adjacent wetlands soils.
- Institutional controls for ground water use.
The ROD for OU-2 was issued in 2008. Major elements of the cleanup plan included:
- Fish samples of catfish, bluegills, and bass will be collected annually, if possible, for the first five years of the remedy. After five years, the monitoring will be reduced to bluegill and bass only on a biannual basis.
- Catfish fillet samples will be analyzed for dioxin to continue the trend analyses from the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System program.
- Whole bluegills and bass will be analyzed for dioxin and mercury to assess concentration trends and confirm the conceptual model that mercury in fish tissue is not site-related.
- Collect fine-layer core samples for dioxin analysis at years one, four, and nine of the remedy and then reassess the need for additional sampling.
- Sediment sampling for mercury as part of year one monitoring.
- Collect surface water samples for dioxin analysis annually.
- Annually inspect fish advisory signs.
- Annually review reports on local habitat conditions such as U.S. Army Corps of Engineers summaries of dam releases, North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources water quality monitoring summaries, and overviews of severe weather conditions that could adversely impact biota habitats.
- Existing fish consumption advisory.
The ROD for OU-3 was issued in 2003. Major elements of the cleanup plan included:
- Barrier wall containment system for contaminated soils largely within the footprint of the Former Chlorine Plant building.
- Shallow target area excavations of contaminated soils.
- Surface cap containment system.
- Ground water monitoring.
- Institutional controls for land and ground water use.
The ROD for OU-4 was issued in 2007. Major elements of the cleanup plan included:
- Enhanced monitored natural recovery of dioxin-contaminated sediment in the upstream reach of Welch Creek through placement of a thin layer sand cap. Mobility monitoring would be performed for the less contaminated sediment in the midstream reach.
- Long-term monitoring and maintenance of the sand cap.
- Long-term testing and monitoring of sediment, surface water, and biota to document the performance of the remedy and compliance with cleanup goals.
- Institutional controls to limit the consumption of fish from Welch Creek, maintain the integrity of the sand cap, maintain the existing fencing which limits access to the Welch Creek area, maintain signs in Welch Creek noting fish advisories and the presence of the sand cover, and to place deed restrictions to limit land development on the Domtar (formerly Weyerhaeuser) property that could impact the remedy.
Cleanup Progress
The geotextile and soil landfill cover specified in the remedy for OU-1 was completed in December 2005 and presently covers an area of approximately 82 acres. Long-term monitoring of ground water and soil along the adjacent wetlands is ongoing.
In October 2001, the State’s fish consumption advisory for dioxin was lifted for sport fish, but remains in effect for catfish and carp. Dioxin levels have declined between five- and tenfold in wood duck eggs and catfish since the mid-1990s. Since 2006, there has been a fish consumption advisory for mercury in all state waters. Fish consumption advisories will continue until the State of North Carolina guidelines have been met. Deed restrictions at the Weyerhaeuser property and institutional controls will also be used where appropriate.
Construction of the remedy for OU-3 began in March 2006 and was completed in August 2006. Mercury-contaminated soil has been contained, contamination hotspots have been excavated and disposed of off site, and long-term ground water monitoring is ongoing.
The potentially responsible parties (PRPs) have begun work on the remedial design for OU-4 and will collect some additional data in Welch Creek during 2009. The design should be completed by the spring of 2010.
Site cleanup activities are being led primarily by PRPs with oversight by EPA.
Enforcement Activities
In March 1998, EPA and the PRP entered into an Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) to implement the remedial investigation and feasibility study for OU-1, OU-3, and OU-4.
In August 2003, EPA and the PRP entered into a Consent Decree for the remedial design and remedial action for OU-1.
In January 2009, EPA and the PRP entered into a Consent Decree for the remedial design and remedial action for OU-4.
Community Involvement
EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the Weyerhaeuser Company 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
EPA and the PRP are currently negotiating a Consent Decree for the long-term monitoring for OU-2. The Consent Decree is expected to be entered with the court system by the end 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.
Washington County Public Library
201 E. 3rd Street
Plymouth, NC 27962-1319
Administrative Record Index
- OU-1 (PDF) (4 pp, 96K, About PDF)
- OU-2 (PDF) (2 pp, 104K, About PDF)
- OU-3 (PDF) (5 pp, 337K, About PDF)
For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.