Celanese Corp. (Shelby Fibers Operations)

• Site Profile
• Administrative Record Index (All PDF): OU2 (22 pp., 781K), Deletion (1 pp., 32K), ESD (2 pp., 58K)
• Additional Site Documents including Five Year Reviews, Records of Decisions (ROD) and Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD).
• For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office (http://www.epa.gov/region4/foiapgs/submit.htm).

Site Background:
The Celanese Shelby Fibers Site, located in Cleveland County, North Carolina is an active, 450-acre facility which manufactures polyester resin and fiber. Investigations at the Site began in 1981 which identified the presence of soil, groundwater, and sediments contaminated with a variety of contaminants, including inorganics and volatile organic compounds (mainly ethylene glycol). Groundwater contamination was migrating off-site to an area with residential wells in use.

Cleanup Progress: Construction Completed
Remedial and other cleanup activities began in 1988. The potentially responsible parties (PRPs) are cleaning up the Site under a Consent Decree. Site cleanup was divided into two operable units (OU 1 and OU 2). The OU 1 groundwater pump-and-treat system was constructed and became operational and functional in 1989. The OU 2 remedial action was conducted from 1991-1992, and involved excavating approximately 10,000 cubic yards of contaminated source wastes, followed by treatment with on-site incineration and solidification. The solidified materials were backfilled on-site, and the areas regraded and seeded with grass. Celanese submitted a petition to EPA for deletion of a part of the Site from the NPL. EPA approved the petition, and the partial deletion was completed. The second five-year review recommended stopping the pump and treat system for two years to evaluate monitored natural attenuation (MNA). This resulted in an Explanation of Significant Differences in April 2004. The MNA study plan was approved in May 2004.  In April 2006, the MNA study period has been extended and additional treatment technologies are currently being reviewed.  The fourth Five Year Review was completed in August 2006 and it was determined that the remedies implemented for OU 1 and OU 2 have addressed immediate threats to human health and the environment and are protective and exposure pathways that could result in unacceptable risks are being controlled. 

n 2008, EPA had an independent (3rd-party) design review conducted at the Celanese Superfund Site to determine if the pump and treat system should be restarted, if a modified system should be restarted, or if another type of ground water remedial approach is warranted. The recommendations from this review include better characterization of the TCE source area, better delineation of the diethylene dioxide plume, and better delineation of TCE and other constituents at the Site. The recommended activities include additional groundwater and surface water sampling; and source areas characterization. The appropriate remedial measures for the Site are highly dependent upon the outcome of the characterization.