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Olin Corporation (Macintosh Plant)

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Landfill Cap on the Olin site
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Site Summary Profile
EPA ID: ALD008188708
Location: Macintosh, Washington County, AL
Lat/Long: 31.263880, -087.994450
Congressional District: 01
NPL Status: Proposed: 09/08/83; Final 09/21/84
Affected Media: Ground water, Soil
Cleanup Status: Construction underway. Physical cleanup activities have started.
Site Reuse/Redevelopment: In continued as a active chemical production facility.
Site Manager: Beth Walden (walden.beth@epa.gov)


Site Background

The Olin Corporation McIntosh Plant site is located approximately one mile east-southeast of the Town of McIntosh in Washington County, Alabama. The Olin main plant and associated properties cover approximately 1,500 acres. From 1952 until 1982 Olin produced chlorinated organic pesticides, chlorine, caustic soda and sodium hypochlorite at the site. Presently, Olin produces chlorine, caustic soda, sodium hypochlorite and blends and stores hydrazide compounds at the site.

The Olin McIntosh plant is both a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) facility and a National Priority List (NPL) site.

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Threats and Contaminants

Releases of mercury and organic chemicals have contaminated the shallow ground water beneath the site. Discharges of wastewater containing mercury have contaminated wetlands adjacent to the Tombigbee River. Approximately 500 people live within the area of the site. Everyone in the area utilizes ground water as a source of drinking water.

Investigations have also indicated contamination in a 65-acre natural basin, which is located on the Olin property east of the active plant facilities.

Mercury and chloroform are the principal contaminants identified at the site.

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Site Cleanup Plan

Because the problems at the Olin site are complex, the site has been organized in two operable units (OUs): OU-1 - the active production facility, Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs), and the upland area of the Olin property; and OU-2 - the Olin Basin located adjacent to the Tombigbee River, a floodplain and a wastewater ditch leading to the basin. The Record of Decision (ROD) detailing the cleanup plan for OU-1 was issued on December 16, 1994. It addresses the source of the contamination on the site as well as the ground water contamination across the entire site. The major components of the cleanup approach include:

The ROD for OU-1 also indicated that a ROD for OU-2 would be developed if it is determined that cleanup action for OU-2 is necessary.

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Cleanup Progress

Starting in 1984, Olin has clean closed nine RCRA hazardous waste management units at the site. One RCRA unit has been closed with waste left in place.
In 1987, Olin started treating contaminated ground water under Olin's RCRA Corrective Action Program.

 In 1990, under a Superfund Administrative Order on Consent, Olin removed 11,407 tons of hexachlorobenzene contaminated soil from the site.

The construction necessary for the OU-1 cleanup plan began in 2000 and was completed in 2001. The plan was implemented in 2000 and 2001. A 2006 assessment found that the cleanup plan was implemented properly. 

To restrict on-site land and ground water use, institutional controls in the form of a "Declaration of Restrictive Covenants" have also been implemented at the site.

Site cleanup activities are being led primarily by potentially responsible parties with oversight by EPA.

Work at OU-2 is ongoing. In 2006, Olin constructed a berm, or raised barrier, with a gate around OU-2.  This was done as part of a study to test whether sediments that drop out of trapped flood water from the Tombigbee River would form an effective natural cover over contaminated sediments in the OU-2 area. EPA has reviewed the most recent data from this study and drawn a preliminary conclusion - the flood waters entering the Site contain low amounts of sediment; those sediments are difficult to capture in the Site; and the sediments will not form an effective cover. Olin is collecting additional data in the Summer 2009, as well as participating in a capping study being conducted by EPA. Olin is currently scheduled to submit an OU-2 RI/FS report in the Fall of 2009.

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Enforcement Activities

In 1989, EPA and Olin entered into an Administrative Order on Consent for Olin to conduct a remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS) under EPA oversight.

In 1995, Olin agreed in a Consent Decree to develop the remedial design and conduct the remedial action for the plant area. When this Decree was presented to the U.S. District Court, District Judge W.B. Hand ruled that the Superfund law is not retroactive and in this case was unconstitutional. Judge Hand dismissed the government's complaint and denied the motion to enter the Decree.

In July 1996, EPA issued a RCRA Section 7003 Administrative Order requiring Olin to develop a remedial design for the plant area. In March 1997, the U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals reversed Judge Hand's decision.

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Community Involvement

EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the Olin Corporation Macintosh Plant 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 site fact sheets (found below), public notices, and information meetings on cleanup progress and activities.

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Future Work

Long-term protectiveness of the cleanup plan will be verified by obtaining additional ground water samples to fully evaluate potential migration of contaminated ground water downgradient from the treatment area and towards the river.

It is expected that the ground water extraction and treatment system will be required to continue to operate indefinitely until cleanup goals for all ground water contaminants have been reached.

Olin is conducting long-term monitoring and operation and maintenance (O&M) activities according Olin’s RCRA Corrective Action Program.

The optimal cleanup plan for OU-2 is still being considered.

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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.

Mcintosh Town Hall
Commerce St.
P.O. Box 385
Mcintosh, AL 36553
Administrative Record Index

For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.

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For information about the contents of this page please contact Brenda Lane.

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