![[logo] US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
Monsanto Corp. (Augusta Plant)
National Information
Photos/Multimedia
Ground water extraction system at the Monsanto Corp. (Augusta Plant) 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: GAD001700699Location: Augusta, Richmond County, GA
Lat/Long: 33.389450,-081.993060
Congressional District: 10
NPL Status: Proposed: 09/08/83; Final: 09/21/84; Deleted: 03/09/98
Affected Media: Ground water
Cleanup Status: Deleted from the NPL - physical cleanup activities have been completed
Site Reuse/Redevelopment: In continuous use - industrial
Site Manager: Robenson Joseph (joseph.robenson@epa.gov)
Site Background
The 75-acre Monsanto Corp. (Augusta Plant) site is located in an industrial park in Richmond County, Georgia, three miles southeast of Augusta. Land use in the area is predominantly industrial. The nearest residential area is one-half mile northwest of the site.
The plant began operation in 1962 and is still active today. Formerly known as Monsanto Augusta, as of 1999, the chemical plant is owned and operated by Prayon, Inc. The plant manufactures phosphoric acid. This process results in the generation of several waste products including arsenic trisulfide. During the years of operation, Monsanto used two small on-site landfills (measuring 0.1 acre in size) to dispose of solid waste and sludges containing arsenic trisulfide.
The site was first identified by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GEPD) in 1975. In 1979, Monsanto, under the supervision of GEPD, began monitoring the quality of the ground water south of the site. The ground water monitoring program revealed arsenic levels in the surficial aquifer exceeding the Federal drinking water standard for arsenic of 0.05 mg/l.
Threats and Contaminants
The primary contaminant of concern is arsenic in ground water.
Site Cleanup Plan
A Record of Decision (ROD) for the site was issued in 1991 requiring Monsanto to monitor the ground water on site and install extraction wells in the areas where arsenic levels exceed the Federal drinking water standard. Specific components of the cleanup approach included:
- Continue quarterly ground water monitoring during the design of the cleanup approach to determine compliance with the Groundwater Protection Achievement Levels (GPALs).
- Should the annual average of the levels as determined by the quarterly monitoring exceed the GPALs, extraction of ground water which exceeds the Federal drinking water standard for arsenic will commence.
- Discharge extracted ground water for treatment at a Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW).
- Ground water monitoring for a minimum of two years following the achievement of the Federal drinking water standard for arsenic.
Cleanup Progress
In 1983, Monsanto, under the supervision of GEPD, excavated the waste from both of the landfills. The material excavated from the landfills was transported to a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) permitted landfill. The soil from the bottom of the excavated area did not exceed the Extraction Procedure toxicity standard for arsenic of 5.0 ppm. As a result, no formal landfill cover was placed over the excavated areas.
Since the site was adequately being addressed simultaneously by the State of Georgia under the RCRA program, and the same ground water cleanup levels must be met to comply with the RCRA standards, the site was deferred to RCRA under State oversight in 1990.
In 1995, operation of the ground water injection/extraction system began. The ground water was extracted from the surficial aquifer and discharged for treatment at a POTW. The State is overseeing the pumping/discharge to POTW activities, and the quarterly ground water monitoring at the site.
The site was deleted from the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1998. The cleanup approach is now included in Prayon's Hazardous Waste Facility Permit issued under RCRA authority.
The 2005 Five-Year Review determined that the cleanup approach in place is expected to be protective of human health and the environment upon completion, and in the interim, exposure pathways that could result in unacceptable risks are being controlled.
The most recent ground water monitoring events indicate that only two on-site monitoring wells still exceed the Federal drinking water standard for arsenic, and the concentrations in these two wells have decreased significantly over time. The company will continue pumping the ground water until the Federal drinking water standard for arsenic is reached.
Site cleanup activities are being led primarily by potentially responsible parties with oversight by EPA.
Enforcement Activities
In January 1989, EPA issued a special notice letter to Monsanto to give Monsanto the opportunity to conduct, with EPA oversight, the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) to identify the nature and extent of remaining contamination. In 1989, Monsanto entered into an Administrative Order on Consent to perform the RI/FS.
In 1991, Monsanto signed an EPA-negotiated Consent Decree.Community Involvement
EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the Monsanto 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.
Future Work
The company will continue pumping the ground water until the Federal drinking water standard for arsenic is reached.
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.
August-Richmond County Public Library
902 Green Street
Augusta, GA 30901
Administrative Record Index
- OU-1 (PDF) (19 pp, 830K, About PDF)
- Deletion (PDF) (25 pp, 1.0MB, About PDF)
For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.