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National Starch and Chemical Corporation
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: NCD991278953Location: Salisbury, Rowan County, NC
Lat/Long: 35.632200, -080.541200
Congressional District:06
NPL Status: Proposed: 04/10/85; Final: 10/04/89
Affected Media: Ground water, Soil
Cleanup Status: Construction Underway – Physical cleanup activities have started.
Site Reuse/Redevelopment: Continued Industrial Use – An active chemical manufacturing facility.
Site Manager: Jon Bornholm (bornholm.jon@epa.gov)
Site Background
The National Starch and Chemical Corporation (NSCC) site, located in Salisbury, Rowan County, North Carolina, is the site of two active chemical manufacturing plants that have operated since 1970. Site operations consist primarily of manufacturing specialty chemicals for the textile and furniture industries. Volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (VOCs and SVOCs), as well as acid and alkaline solutions, are used in manufacturing and cleaning processes at the plants. Previously, NSCC deposited about 350,000 gallons of liquid waste containing lead and various organic chemicals in unlined trenches in a 2-acre area. Site operation-related contamination presently affects approximately 20 acres of the 500 acre property.
Threats and Contaminants
The contaminants detected in site soils include VOCs, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, inorganics, and metals. Ground water beneath the site is contaminated with many of the same contaminants found in the soil. Contaminants in surface water and sediment included acetone, 1,2-dichloroethane, barium, manganese, vanadium, and zinc.
The plant is located in a rural area that depends heavily on wells for drinking water. About 7,700 people use public and private wells within three miles of the site for drinking water.
Site Cleanup Plan
The cleanup plan for the NSCC site covered four operable units (OUs): OU-1 (ground water), OU-2 (soil), OU-3 (groundwater and surface water in the Northeast Tributary), and OU-4 (soil, source control).
The Record of Decision (ROD) for the OU-1 was issued in 1988. Major components of the cleanup plan included:
- Implement a ground water interception and extraction system downgradient of the source area(s).
- Pretreatment of extracted ground water including air stripping, filtration through activated carbon filter, metal removal, and treatment through NSCC's existing lagoon system.
- Discharge of extracted ground water to the Salisbury publically owned treatment works (POTW), or, in the event an agreement between NSCC and the POTW cannot be reached, to a local surface stream under a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit.
- Implementation of ground water remediation until all contaminated water meets cleanup goals throughout the plume area(s).
- Implementation of a monitoring program for surface water and sediment until cleanup goals have been met.
- Implementation of additional soil sampling to determine if source(s) other than the trench area are responsible for surface water and sediment contamination.
The ROD for the OU-2 was issued in 1990. In the ROD, EPA determined that the natural infiltration of precipitation works with the selected OU-1 ground water remedy, effectively flushing residual soil contamination into the ground water capture zone. The ROD also prescribed a quarterly monitoring program for soils in the trench area of the site.
The ROD for the OU-3 was issued in 1993. Major components of the cleanup plan included:
- Implementation of a ground water remediation system to include extraction wells, an air stripper to remove VOCs from extracted ground water, vapor-phase carbon adsorption filters of emissions from the air stripper to the atmosphere, and discharge of treated ground water to the Salisbury POTW.
- Long-term monitoring of the ground water and surface water and sediment in the Northeast Tributary.
- Implementation of a deed restriction on the property as an institutional control.
- Evaluate and review the existing ground water monitoring system to ensure that the effectiveness of the ground water extraction system can be evaluated.
- Performance of Five-Year Reviews (FYRs) in accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980.
The ROD for the OU-4 was issued in 1994. Major components of the cleanup plan included:
- Devise and implement a study to substantiate that natural degradation is occurring, identify where in the subsurface the degradation is occurring, and determine the rate of degradation.
- Implement institutional controls including deed restrictions and maintenance of both the fence around the plant operations area and the paved areas around Area 2.
- Develop and implement a long-term monitoring plan to ensure that natural degradation continues to be effective until the specified performance standard is achieved and maintained.
- Performance of Five-Year Reviews (FYRs) in accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980.
Cleanup Progress
Construction for OU-1 remedy began in August 1990 and was completed in March 1996. A ground water extraction system was installed in the western portion of the NSCC property and the extracted groundwater is pretreated prior to being sent to the plant's existing wastewater treatment system. The pretreatment includes air stripping to remove the volatile organic compounds and the air stream coming off of the air stripper iss treated through a catalytic oxidizer prior to being released to the atmosphere. Following addutuibak testing, it was determined that metals removal was not necessary.
The OU-2 ROD selected a no action remedy for soils in the trench area. Long-term monitoring of these soils is ongoing. The investigation to determine the source of contamination being detected in the Northeast Tributary lead to the issuance of the OU-3 and OU-4 RODS.
Construction of the OU-3 remedy to address ground water contamination in the eastern portion of the facility began in the fall of 1998 and was completed in February 2000.
The OU-4 Natural Attenuation Treatability Study of 1,2-dichloroethane (DCA) in the soils was completed in the spring of 2006, and indicated that natural degradation of DCA in the soil may be occurring in the subsurface but to a very limited extent. Therefore, EPA decided to implement the contingent remedial alternative of a soil vapor extraction (SVE) system. The final remedial design for the SVE system was approved in September 2008. The OU-4 remedy is currently under construction and construction should be completed in the fall of 2009.
Site cleanup activities are being led primarily by the potentially responsible party (PRP) with oversight by EPA.
Enforcement Activities
The remedial investigation and feasibility studies for each OU were conducted under a December 1, 1986 Administrative Order on Consent between EPA and the PRP.
The remedial design and remedial action (RD/RA) for OU-1 were conducted under a July 1989 Unilateral Administrative Order (UAO) issued by EPA to the PRP.
Implementation of the RD/RA for OU-2 was done under an August 1991 Consent Decree between EPA and the PRP. The Consent Decree was entered by the Federal Court on July 20, 1992.
A UAO for implementation of the RD/RAs for OU-3 and OU-4 was issued by EPA on September 29, 1995.
Community Involvement
EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the NSCC 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
The OU-4 SVE system is anticipated to begin operation in the fall of 2009.
This site is subject to Five Year Reviews (FYRs). The next sitewide FYR is anticipated to be completed in September 2012.
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.
Rowan County Public Library
201 W. Fisher Street
Salisbury, NC 28144
Administrative Record Index
- OU-1 (PDF) (22 pp, 729K, About PDF)
- OU-2 (PDF) (7 pp, 279K, About PDF)
- OU-3 (PDF) (10 pp, 423K, About PDF)
- OU-4 (PDF) (4 pp, 159K, About PDF)
- ESD 1 and ESD 2 for OU-3 (PDF) (1 pg, 39K, About PDF)
For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.