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Stauffer Chemical Company (Tarpon Springs)
National Information
Photos/Multimedia
Western edge of Stauffer Chemical Company Tarpon Springs site.
- 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)
Site Summary Profile
EPA ID: FLD010596013Location: Tarpon Springs, Pinellas County, FL
Lat/Long: 28.166660, 082.775690
Congressional District: 09
NPL Status: Proposed: 02/07/92; Final: 05/31/94
Affected Media: Ground water, Sediment, Soil,
Cleanup Status: Contract for soil cleanup should be awarded in October 2009. Construction expected to begin in January 2010. Early actions in 1997-1998.
Site Reuse/Redevelopment: Potential for Commercial/Industrial
Site Manager: Randy Bryant (bryant.randy@epa.gov)
Site Background
The Stauffer Chemical Company’s Tarpon Springs site is situated on 130 acres along the Anclote River in Tarpon Springs, Pinellas County, Florida. The facility was used to produce elemental phosphorous using phosphate ore mined from deposits in Florida. The plant was originally constructed and operated by Victor Chemical Company, which began production in 1947. The Stauffer Chemical Company obtained the plant from Victor Chemical in 1960 and continued to manufacture elemental phosphorous until the plant closed in 1981. The decision to decommission and dismantle the plant permanently was made in 1983. The Stauffer Management Company (SMC) was formed in 1997 as a result of a divestiture of the Stauffer Chemical Company.
Threats and Contaminants
Site operations resulted in the contamination of soils, ground water, and waste ponds on the property. The main contaminants of concern (COCs) in soil include arsenic, antimony, beryllium, elemental phosphorous, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), radium-226, and thallium.
Site Cleanup Plan
The cleanup plan for the Stauffer Chemical Company’s Tarpon Springs site involves two operable units (OUs): OU-1 (source control) and OU-2 (ground water). Groundwater quality will be tested after the completion of the source control remedy to evaluate what actions may be necessary for groundwater at the Site.
The Record of Decision (ROD) for the OU-1 (source control) at the Site was issued in 1998. Major cleanup elements for the site included:
- Limited excavation of radiologically and chemically contaminated material/soil which exceeds Residential Cleanup Standards.
- Consolidation of contaminated material/soil in the main pond area, slag area, and/or other areas on site. Top Cover Caps which meet the Florida Administrative Code 62-701.050 will be placed over the Consolidation Areas. The movement of contaminated soil/waste will be limited to minimize the generation of fugitive dust and to prevent the creation of additional threats to human health and the environment.
- Institutional Controls must be placed on the site to include deed restrictions, land use ordinances, physical barriers, and water supply well permitting prohibitions. These restrictions will limit access to the site and prohibit the disturbance of the remedy.
- On-site solidification/stabilization of pond material and contaminated soil below the water table will be required in the site consolidation areas. **This part of the remedy was subsequently changed due to a fire during a pilot test of the solidification. There will be no solidification; instead a groundwater cutoff wall be installed in that portion of the Site (see the June 2007 Explanation of Significant Differences).
Cleanup Progress
The soil cleanup began in April 2010 and should be completed by the spring of 2011.
As of September 2010, essentially all excavation has been completed and the excavated areas are being backfilled with clean soil. Excavated material has been placed in the footprint of the two areas to be capped. There is one capped area on the north parcel and one capped area on the south parcel. Construction of the layers of the cap on the south parcel is well underway; construction of layers of the cap on the north parcel will be underway by late September.
The groundwater cutoff wall has been completed on the south parcel. The vinyl seawall along the eastern shore of Meyers Cove is nearly complete.
As noted in previous RD/RA fact sheets:
- There will be two capped areas at the Site, one in the north parcel and one in the south parcel. The use of two capped areas eliminates the transport of material between the two parcels and reduces the overall height of the capped areas.
- The design includes restoration of the eastern shore of Meyers Cove by excavation of the adjacent Pond 42. Materials excavated from Pond 42 will be placed within the footprint of the planned cap on the southern parcel.
- Ponds 42, 39, and the northern pond are the only waste ponds to be excavated. These ponds contain less phosphorus (than the southern ponds) and are more suitable for excavation. However, if significant amounts of phosphorus are encountered during excavation, then the material may be capped in place without further excavation.
- Future commercial/industrial use of the Site is possible after construction is complete. It appears that the likely future uses are related to boating: marina, boat launch, boat storage, boat sales and service, parking, etc.
- Future uses of the Site must be compatible with, and protective of, the completed remedy.
- In June 2007, EPA issued an Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD) to modify the on-site solidification component of the remedy. No solidification will be performed; instead a ground water cut-off wall was designed to surround much of the waste ponds on the southern parcel and reduce the movement of ground water contamination. Other components of the remedy, including capping and restrictions regarding future on-site ground water use and land use, remain unchanged.
Enforcement Activities
On July 28, 1992, SMC voluntarily entered into an Administrative Order on Consent with EPA, which required the performance of a Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS). The RI and FS final reports were completed and approved in March of 1996.
The EPA and SMC initially signed a Consent Decree in 1999 to implement the selected remedy; however, in response to public comments, this initial Consent Decree was withdrawn and additional studies were performed at the site.
In August of 2000, EPA and SMC signed an agreement to conduct the requested additional studies at the site. This investigation included geophysical studies, treatability studies, and ground water characterization studies and was completed in 2004.
SMC and EPA signed another Consent Decree for the design and cleanup at the site in April 2005.
Community Involvement
EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the Stauffer Chemical Company’s Tarpon Springs 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 fact sheets, public notices, interviews, and public meetings on cleanup activities and updates.
The community has been very involved in the Superfund process at the site. The EPA awarded a Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) to Pi-Pa-TAG, Inc. in May of 1996. The EPA also assisted the community in forming the Anclote Community Advisory Group (ACAG) in the June 2000.
Resources/Fact Sheets
- Soil Cleanup Remedial Action Fact Sheet (PDF) (14 pp, 572K)
Future Work
It is currently estimated that the soil cleanup will be completed in the spring of 2011. Once the soil cleanup is complete, groundwater monitoring will be performed to determine if additional actions are necessary
Site 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.
Tarpon Springs Public Library
138 E. Lemon St.
Tarpon Springs, FL 34689
For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.