Carolawn, Inc.

• Site Profile
• Administrative Record Index: OU2 (PDF, 6 pp., 241K)
• 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 Carolawn site, located less than three miles west of Fort Lawn and six miles east of Richburg, South Carolina, in rural Chester County is a 60-acre site which operated as a waste storage and disposal facility from 1970 to 1979. The Carolawn site consists of two distinct areas, the first is a 3-acre tract completely enclosed by a chain link fence (Operable Unit One). The remaining area is primarily undeveloped woodland and incorporates the northern section of the site (Operable Unit Two). Approximately 4,500 drums of waste and several bulk storage tanks and sludge ponds were located throughout the fenced area during the 1970's. An additional 660 drums and 11 storage tanks were located outside the fenced area and to the north. During the early 1980's, SCDHEC and EPA conducted site investigations at the Carolawn site. These investigations included collecting environmental and private residential well samples for analysis. The results of these investigations showed the presence of trichloroethane (TCE) and other solvents in nearby residential wells. The results also indicated that the site was contaminated with high levels of metals and organic compounds. Five residences lie within 300 yards of the site, and approximately 30 single family residences lie within a 2-mile radius of the site. Both Fort Lawn and Richburg are rural communities with a total population of approximately 1000. In addition several communities such as the Richburg, Fort Lawn, and Edgemoor community participate in recreational activities downstream of the site.

Cleanup Progress: Construction Completed

Between 1981 and 1982, EPA removed over 1000 drums of hazardous waste and several tons of contaminated soil, and all nearby residences were provided an alternative water source. An additional 17 storage tanks were removed in 1986 by the potentially responsible parties (PRPs). In August 1985, a group of PRPs entered into a partial Consent Decree to conduct the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) for Carolawn Operable Unit One. On September 27, 1989, EPA issued a Record of Decision for Operable Unit One which selected a groundwater interception and extraction system as the remedy for groundwater contamination at the site. Due to the effectiveness of previous removal actions, no source of contamination remained in the fenced area of the site. Construction of the remedy for Operable Unit One commenced in August 1993 and was completed in 1998.

On April 30, 1994, EPA conducted a RI/FS for Carolawn Operable Unit Two focusing mainly on surface and subsurface soil, surface water and the sediment in Fishing Creek. On September 21, 1995, EPA issued a Record of Decision for Operable Unit Two which selected a no-action remedy. Furthermore, the ROD stated that should future monitoring of the site indicate that the site poses an unacceptable risk to the environment, the EPA, in consultation with SCDHEC, may initiate clean-up actions under CERCLA.

Although operation of the treatment system is projected to last from three to five years, in 1996, a portion of the property was used to build and operate a regional Turkey Feed Mill. Turkey farming in the area is a major contributor to the local economy. Furthermore, the success of the feed mill may also attract additional developers to reuse the remainder of the site.

On August 23, 2003, EPA issued the second 5-Year Review Report for the Carolawn Superfund Site. Based on the second five-year review for the Site, hazardous substances remain on-site above health-based levels that prevent unlimited use and unrestricted exposure. Although, all immediate threats at the site have been addressed, remedy optimization/re-evaluation activities are required to improve the effectiveness of the groundwater remedy. Remedy  optimization/reevaluation activities are ongoing. To date, under EPA and SCDHEC oversight, the PRPs have completed the Remediation System Evaluation Plan, the first and second baseline monitoring events and the Enhanced In-Situ Biodegradation (EISB) injection event. To monitor the effectiveness of the “pilot study,” seven monitoring events have been completed. The third Five-Year Review was completed in September 2008.