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Alpha Chemical Corporation
National Information
Photos/Multimedia
Warehouse and tank structures on Alpha Chemical 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, About PDF)
Site Summary Profile
EPA ID: FLD041495441Location: Kathleen, Polk County, FL
Lat/Long: 28.100830, -082.0097
Congressional District: 12
NPL Status: Proposed: 12/30/82; Final: 09/08/83; Deleted: 06/28/95
Affected Media: Ground water, Soil
Cleanup Status: Deleted from NPL: physical cleanup activities at site have been completed.
Site Reuse/Redevelopment: Continued use - industrial
Site Manager: Bill Denman (denman.bill@epa.gov)
Site Background
The Alpha Chemical Corporation site is located three miles north of Lakeland, Florida in the town of Kathleen. It covers 32 acres and contains a resin manufacturing plant, parking areas, storage tanks, a rail spur, and undeveloped land. The Alpha Resins Corporation (ARC), the potentially responsible party, started producing unsaturated polyester resin for fiberglass manufacturers at the site in 1967.
In 1994, ARC transferred the site property to Alpha/Owens-Coming LLC (now AOC, LLC). The AOC, LLC facility manufactures unsaturated polyester resin for fiberglass manufacturers, principally for the boat and bathtub industries. Approximately 650 people live within one-half mile of the site.
Threats and Contaminants
Wastewater from resin manufacturing was discharged into two on-site surface impoundments from 1967 until 1976. The ponds were unlined and permitted by the state to receive the wastewater from the resin manufacturing. One of the ponds was later used to deposit solid waste and then covered with dirt and seeded. No significant ground water plume was found to exist and ground water contamination was limited to the aquifer located near the surface of the site.
In the 1980s, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and EPA confirmed that ethyl benzene and other volatile organic compounds contaminated ground water, soils, and sediment in the area of the former wastewater ponds and the wetlands. No private wells off-site were found to be contaminated and off-site transport and exposure was expected to be minimal. A 20-foot thick impermeable clay layer shields the Floridan Aquifer, a source of drinkable ground water for area residents, from contaminated ground water.
In 1986, an endangerment assessment was conducted with EPA oversight. The study concluded that the area of contaminated ground water was not large and that the chance for off-site exposure to contamination was minimal.
The five contaminants of concern were identified for the site include xylene, styrene, ethylbenzene, benzoic acid, and 1,2-dichloropropane.
Site Cleanup Plan
The Record of Decision for the site was issued in 1988. The cleanup approach included placing a protective cover, or cap, over the former unlined pond area and monitoring of on-site surface water and ground water.
Cleanup Progress
ARC completed the construction of the cap covering the remaining unlined pond in late 1989 and continued ground water monitoring until 1994. Ground water and surface water monitoring confirmed that the contaminants had decreased to safe levels and that the protective cap over the contaminated soil was effective.
In 1995, EPA deleted the site from the National Priorities List.
Because waste remains on-site beneath the protective cap, EPA is required to conduct a review of the remedy every five years to ensure the remedy remains protective of human health and the environment. Five year reviews (FYRs) were conducted in 1994, 1998, 2003, and 2008. These reviews determined that the remedy continues to be protective of human health and the environment and continues to be effective at meeting state and federal standards.
The 2008 FYR, found that:
- Access controls are well maintained and public access to the site is restricted.
- The site is in industrial reuse and the site's owner intends for this use to continue in the long term.
- Clean soil was placed over the contaminated soils and the cover has been maintained.
- Institutional controls, such as a restrictive covenant, have been implemented to ensure that both the protective cap over contaminated soil and cap monitoring system remain protected.
Site cleanup activities are being led primarily by potentially responsible parties with oversight by EPA.
Enforcement Activities
Two consent decrees (CDs) were signed in March 1985 to finalize agreements between ARC (now AOC, LLC) and EPA. One CD dealt with the payment of penalties associated with violation of the permitted ground water standards. The second CD required the company to perform the Remedial Investigation, Endangerment Assessment, and, if necessary, Feasibility Study to carry out the remedial action.
Another CD between EPA and Alpha Resins Corporation (now AOC, LLC) was entered into court in May 1989. This CD required the company to perform the Remedial Design and Remedial Action under EPA oversight. It contained requirements regarding sampling, operation and maintenance, reporting, cost reimbursement, completion of construction activities, and placement of institutional controls, such as a restrictive covenant, to prohibit certain activities at the site.
Community Involvement
EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the Alpha Chemical Corporation 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 and information meetings on cleanup progress and activities.
Fact Sheets
- Continued Reuse Fact Sheet (PDF) (1 pg, 440K, About PDF).
Future Work
The protective cap over the contaminated soil is regularly inspected to ensure that the cap is functioning as intended and to check for evidence of erosion.
The 2008 FYR recommended that ground water monitoring data be collected from limited monitoring wells at least once every five years prior to each subsequent FYR to ensure that the protective cap remains effective. The FYR also recommended that EPA consult with the Florida Department of Health to determine whether or not any private wells should be sampled.
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.
Lakeland Public Library100 Lake Morton Dr.
Lakeland, FL 33801
Administrative Record Index
- OU-1 (PDF) (30 pp, 665K, About PDF).
- Deletion (PDF) (7 pp, 305K, About PDF).
For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.