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Aqua-Tech Environmental, Inc. (Groce Labs)
National Information
Photos/Multimedia
Closeup of drums on the Aqua-Tech Environmental Inc. 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: SCD058754789Location: Greer, Spartanburg County, SC
Lat/Long: 34.932800, -082.172500
Congressional District: 04
NPL Status: Proposed: 08/23/94; Final: 12/16/94
Affected Media: Ground water, Soil
Cleanup Status: Early Action Initiated/Completed and Construction Underway - Physical cleanup activities have started.
Site Reuse/Redevelopment: Potential for Commercial/Light Industrial
Site Manager: Yvonne Jones (jones.yvonneo@epa.gov)
Site Background
The Aqua-Tech Environmental site is located in rural Spartanburg County, South Carolina, approximately five miles east of the Town of Greer and 1.25 miles east of the Town of Duncan. From approximately 1940 until 1968, the 35-acre property was used as a municipal solid waste landfill. The property was purchased from the City of Greer in 1974 by Groce Laboratories, who began operating a hazardous waste treatment, storage, and reclamation facility over the former landfill site. Aqua-Tech Environmental, Inc. purchased the operations in April 1987 and continued to accept, store, and treat most hazardous wastes as well as a variety of other solid wastes.
On September 4, 1991, after several citizen complaints, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act violations, and on-site accidents, the facility was ordered to be closed by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) due to the large volume of improperly stored hazardous waste and the imminent threat to public health.
Threats and Contaminants
Significant contamination was found throughout the site including soils, drainage pathways, surface water, and ground water. Primary contaminants include metals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). All of the surface water runoff from the property drains south into Maple Creek, a perennial water body which borders the site. Contaminants found in both this creek and the sources include cadmium, chromium, cobalt, lead, mercury, nickel, and zinc. Maple Creek flows eastward until it drains into the South Tyger River, which is used for fishing, and may also be used as a municipal drinking water source in the future.
Site Cleanup Plan
The Record of Decision (ROD) for the site was issued in 2003. Major cleanup elements for the site included:
- Installation of a site cap using a combination of a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Subtitle C Cover and Subtitle D soil cover for different portions of the municipal landfill. This combination will ensure all municipal waste is isolated from exposure and provide an extra level of protection in areas where the greatest concentrations of VOCs were reported.
- In situ soil treatment in the former process distillation area to reduce the mass of VOCs in shallow soils throughout this area.
- In situ ground water treatment by chemical injection to immediately reduce the contaminant mass and enhance the long-term biodegradation of residual VOCs in ground water. Once in situ treatment is complete, final remediation of ground water will be achieved through natural attenuation.
- Routine ground water monitoring and site inspections to assess the effectiveness and integrity of the selected remedial alternative.
- Institutional controls to restrict use and development of the site to minimize public exposure to residual contaminants, and to ensure the long-term integrity of the remedy.
Cleanup Progress
From September 1991 to January 1992, SCDHEC conducted emergency stabilization activities. In January 1992, EPA assumed emergency response and stabilization activities. Site stabilization and removal/treatment of containerized wastes were conducted from September 1991 to January 1994.
The potentially responsible parties (PRPs) conducted the remedial design and feasibility study (RI/FS) activities between September 2006 and September 2008.
On-site construction for the remedial action was scheduled to begin by May 2009.
Site cleanup activities are being led primarily by PRPs with oversight by EPA.
Enforcement Activities
From 1982 through 1991, Groce Laboratories and Aqua-Tech entered into six Administrative Orders on Consent with SCDHEC to address regulatory violations at the site. Deficiencies noted by SCDHEC and EPA during inspections included the unpermitted discharge of hazardous materials to the environment, the storage of hazardous waste in unpermitted areas, unmarked containers of hazardous waste, bulging containers holding; hazardous waste, hundreds of waste containers being stored in violation of applicable land disposal restrictions, and the accumulation of rain water in such a manner as to permit its contact with hazardous materials.
In May 1992, EPA issued a Unilateral Administrative Order to 98 PRPs requiring them to perform cleanup activities. The PRP group provided site security, removed drummed waste cylinders, lab packs, and treatment residuals, and performed limited soil sampling at the site. The removal action was completed in early 1994.
On September 26, 1995, the Aqua-Tech PRP Group signed an Administrative Order on Consent with EPA agreeing to fully fund and conduct a RI/FS at the site. EPA obtained access to the site by court order in April 1998, and authorized the PRP Group to proceed with the RI/FS work.
During 2004 and 2005, EPA participated in negotiations with the PRPs to reach agreement on the specific cleanup work to be performed by the PRPs under a draft Consent Decree (CD). The CD was finalized and received entry by the Court in May 2006.
Community Involvement
EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the Aqua-Tech Environmental 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 public meetings on cleanup activities and updates.
Fact Sheets
- 2003 Proposed Clean Up Plan Fact Sheet (PDF) (27 pp, 1.3MB, About PDF)
Future Work
Physical on-site cleanup activities are expected to begin in November 2009.
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.
Greer Branch Library
113 School Street
Greer, SC 29651
Administrative Record Index
- Removal (PDF) (2 pp, 49K, About PDF)
- OU-1 (PDF) (4 pp, 428K, About PDF)
For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.