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Geiger (C & M Oil)
National Information
Photos/Multimedia
Gated entrance to the Geiger (C&M Oil) 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: SCD980711279Location: Rantowles, Charleston County, SC
Lat/Long: 32.773610, -080.159160
Congressional District: 06
NPL Status: Proposed: 09/08/83; Final: 09/21/84
Affected Media: Ground water, Soil
Cleanup Status: Construction complete - physical cleanup activities have been completed
Site Reuse/Redevelopment: Currently unused
Site Manager: William Joyner (joyner.william@epa.gov)
Site Background
The Geiger (C & M Oil) site is located in Charleston County approximately 10 miles west of Charleston, along Highway 162 in Hollywood (formerly Rantowles). The site is approximately 1.5 acres in size, triangular in shape and is bounded on two sides by ponds. The area around the site is sparsely populated and heavily forested.
Oil incineration operations took place at the site from 1969 to 1974, though the State of South Carolina had ordered the facility to stop waste oil incineration in 1971. Between 1969 and 1971, eight unlined lagoons were constructed for the purpose of holding waste oil in connection with the incineration process.
EPA began collecting samples at the site in 1980. The total quantity of waste on the site was estimated at 149,600 gallons. This waste consisted of organic and metal contaminants, such as benzo(a)anthracene, and other similar compounds, polychlorinated biphenyls, trichloroethylene, lead, and chromium.
Threats and Contaminants
An in-depth EPA investigation completed in 1987 revealed low levels of organic contaminants as well as metals (primarily lead and chromium) in the soils and the ground water. Contaminants were not detected in ground water samples collected from residential wells adjacent to the site.
Site Cleanup Plan
EPA issued its initial Record of Decision (ROD) describing the cleanup approach for the site in 1987. Major components of the cleanup approach included:
- Extraction, treatment, and discharge of ground water.
- Excavation, on-site thermal treatment, stabilization/solidification, and backfilling of contaminated soils on the site.
In 1993, EPA determined that on-site thermal treatment, specified in the initial ROD, would not be necessary to treat contaminated soil. As a result, EPA amended the cleanup approach specifying that only stabilization/solidification would be needed.
In 1998, EPA amended the cleanup approach to allow use of natural attenuation (use of natural processes) instead of the pump and treatment system called for in the initial ROD to address ground water contamination.
Cleanup Progress
Stabilization/solidification of contaminated soil began in 1993 and was completed in 1994.
EPA, since the signing of the ROD, has conducted additional field investigations to better characterize and define the extent of ground water contamination. Based upon follow-up investigations, EPA determined that lead was the only inorganic contaminant of concern consistently detected above drinking water standards. Further, elevated lead levels were identified in two of 27 monitoring wells. In addition, EPA determined that the level of lead had been decreasing in one of the two wells, Monitoring Well-6S (MW-6S), and was near drinking water standards. The other monitoring well, MW-2S, which is located in a relatively undeveloped area, had indicated an increase in concentration.
In 2004, EPA installed and sampled temporary wells to determine if aquifer contamination existed at the two wells with elevated lead levels. Work also included abandonment and decommissioning of monitoring wells indicating ground water levels below EPA’s Maximum Contaminant Levels.
Temporary and permanent monitoring wells located between the site and the two monitoring wells (2S and 6S) did not show any detection of lead. This suggested there is not a definable ground water plume, but a very localized area of contamination. With the exception of monitoring wells 2S and 6S, the well decommissioning plan was successfully implemented with the removal of the remaining wells.
The site cleanup approach is expected to be or is protective of human health and the environment. All threats at the site have been addressed through stabilization and capping of the contaminated soil and sediments and there have been no changes in the physical conditions of the site that would affect the protectiveness of the site cleanup approach. The remaining two wells will be evaluated to determine if they can be decommissioned. The Third Five-Year Review for the site was completed in April 2009.
Site cleanup activities are being led primarily by EPA.
Enforcement Activities
A potentially responsible party search was conducted in 1984. It was determined that there were no viable potentially responsible parties.
Community Involvement
EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the Geiger (C & M Oil) 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 information meetings on cleanup progress and activities.
Future Work
The next Five-Year Review must be completed by 2014.
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.
St. Paul's Parish Library
5151 Town Council Drive
Hollywood, SC 29449
Administrative Record Index
- ROD Amend. (PDF) (1 pg, 34K, About PDF)
- ROD Amend. 2 (PDF) (1 pg, 34K, About PDF)
For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.