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Walcotte Chemical Co. Warehouses
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: MSD980601736Location: Greenville, Washington County, MS
Lat/Long: 33.411000, -091.053800
Congressional District: 02
NPL Status: Proposed:10/23/81; Deleted: 12/30/82
Affected Media: Debris
Cleanup Status: Deleted from the NPL - Physical cleanup activities have been completed.
Site Reuse/Redevelopment: Potential for commercial/residential
Site Manager: Michael Arnett (arnett.michael@epa.gov)
Site Background
The Walcotte Chemical Co. Warehouses site, located in Greenville, Washington County, Mississippi, is a one-acre warehouse facility that operated as a fertilizer and chemical mixing plant from 1953 to the early 1960s. Subsequent to closure of the plant, the owner abandoned the property because of nonpayment of taxes. An estimated 225 drums containing mineral spirits, formic acid, and other unidentified substances were later found on the site. Drums had deteriorated to the point where the partially exposed chemicals in them could have exploded or started a fire. Other chemicals, including nitrates and caustics, were found stored in disintegrating bags, bulk bins, and storage tanks.
This site was placed on the Interim Priorities List, announced October 23, 1981 before formal rulemaking began in the Federal Register. It was deleted from the National Priorities List on December 30, 1982, because EPA, in consultation with the State of Mississippi, determined that responsible parties had completed cleanup so that no Fund-financed response actions would be required.Threats and Contaminants
Primary contaminants in the warehouses were formic acid, various pesticides, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as toluene.
Approximately 35,000 people live within three miles of the site, and ground water is used for residential, industrial, and irrigation purposes. The site itself is located in a flood plain of the Mississippi River, which could have resulted in the potential for contaminants to move through surface water into the drinking water and to surface soils.Site Cleanup Plan
Major components of the site cleanup plan included identifying, containing, and removing chemical substances on the property for disposal at an appropriate off-site facility.
Cleanup Progress
EPA and the State of Mississippi sampled the drums to verify the contents in 1981. Due to the explosive nature of the drummed chemical wastes, the agencies temporarily evacuated area residents before cleanup activities were initiated.
Site cleanup activities were led primarily by potentially responsible parties (PRPs) with oversight by EPA. The PRPs staged the drums, repacked them, and transported them to a regulated landfill for safe disposal in 1982. These actions eliminated the threats posed by site contamination, effectively cleaning up the entire site.Enforcement Activities
Community Involvement
EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the Walcotte Chemical Co. Warehouses 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, in consultation with the State of Mississippi, has determined that responsible parties have completed cleanup so that no Fund-financed response actions will be required. No Five-Year Reviews are required for the site. No further updates are warranted at this time.
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.
For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.