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Macalloy Corporation
National Information
Photos/Multimedia
Aerial view of the Macalloy Corporation site prior to cleanup.
- 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: SCD003360476Location: North Charleston, SC
Lat/Long: 32.838050, -079.951190
Congressional District: 06
NPL Status: Proposed: 10/22/99; Final: 2/04/00
Affected Media: Ground water, Sediment, Soil
Cleanup Status: Construction complete - physical cleanup activities have been completed
Site Reuse/Redevelopment: Partial reuse - industrial
Site Manager: Craig Zeller (zeller.craig@epa.gov)
Site Background
The Macalloy Corporation site is located on approximately 147 acres of land in Charleston, South Carolina. This former ferrochromium alloy manufacturing plant fronts Shipyard Creek in an industrial and commercial section of the Charleston Peninsula at the confluence of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers. Most of the buildings at the former plant have been demolished, although some building foundations remain. Portions of the site have been built up to current grade using slag, sludge, treated and untreated dust from air pollution control equipment and raw materials.
The plant produced ferrochromium alloy by smelting chromium ore in submerged electric arc furnaces. The facility was operated by Pittsburgh Metallurgical Company from 1941 to 1966, Airco (British Oxygen Corporation) from 1966 to 1979, and Macalloy from 1979 to July 1998. At various times from 1942 to the present, the Department of Defense (DoD) has owned, operated, or otherwise used portions of the site to produce and store ferrochromium alloy, chrome ore, and slag.
An estimated 80,000 tons of air pollution control material, consisting of electrostatic precipitator dust and gas conditioning tower sludge, is contained in an Unlined Surface Impoundment on site. A 20-acre ground water plume of hexavalent chromium exists below the impoundment. Historically, the facility discharged surface water off site to the Shipyard Creek (a tributary of the Cooper River) and adjacent wetland areas via a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System(NPDES)permit.
The site was purchased by a third party in February 2005, which afforded many opportunities to integrate remediation concerns with redevelopment interests. Approximately 20 acres of the site have been redeveloped as an industrial park. Planning for future beneficial use of the remaining site area is underway.
Threats and Contaminants
Soil, sediment, and ground water have been contaminated with hexavalent chromium. Soil has been contaminated with radiological debris. Sediment has been contaminated with nickel and zinc.
Site Cleanup Plan
The Record of Decision (ROD) for the site was issued in 2002. Major cleanup elements for the site included:
- On-site chemical reduction and stabilization/solidification: ex-situ treatment with mechanical mixing of approximately 115,000 cubic yards of soil contaminated by hexavalent chromium to prevent leaching to underlying ground water.
- In-situ treatment by chemical reduction of contaminated ground water.
- Excavation of radiological material with off-site disposal.
- Excavation and on-site disposal of approximately 1,000 cubic yards of sediment contaminated by chromium, nickel and zinc from the 001 tidal creek which formerly received process water discharge from the facility.
- A comprehensive stormwater management plan to reduce concentrations of hexavalent chromium, arsenic, copper, lead, and zinc discharging to Shipyard Creek.
Cleanup Progress
A removal action was initiated in June 1998 to implement a surface water management system
to mitigate transport of contaminants to Shipyard Creek, while a final sitewide remedy was being developed. Cleanup activities involved the consolidation of surface water discharge points by the construction of berms, diversion structures, and detention basins to facilitate removal of solids from storm water runoff prior to discharge.
During the Fall of 1999, an estimated 40,000 tons of electrostatic precipitator dust in the impoundment was excavated, treated as necessary, and hauled to a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act landfill for disposal.
Site cleanup activities under the ROD began in October 2004. Remedial construction activities at the Macalloy site were completed in September 2006. A preliminary closeout report (PDF) (20 pp, 600K, About PDF) was finalized in September 2006.
The Macalloy site was formally recognized as the Superfund Program’s 1,000th Construction Completion at a celebration held at the site in November 2006.
Remedy monitoring for ground water and the sand cap thickness for the 001 tidal creek continues. Monthly monitoring for the surface water discharging to Shipyard Creek indicated that the surface water management plan is effective at reaching performance standards for inorganics and whole effluent toxicity. Surface water sampling stopped in July 2008.
Enforcement Activities
In June 1998, Macalloy initiated a removal action under a consent order with EPA to implement a surface water management plan to mitigate transport of contaminants to Shipyard Creek.
In March 2000, Macalloy entered into a consent order with EPA to perform a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study for the site.
EPA entered into a Consent Decree with Macalloy and British Oxygen Corporation in June 2004 for implementation of cleanup activities at the site.
Community Involvement
EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the Macalloy 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 first Five-Year Review for the Macalloy site is scheduled for October 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.
Charleston County Main Library
68 Calhoun Street
Charleston, SC 29401
Administrative Record Index
- OU-1 (PDF) (10 pp, 230K, About PDF)
For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.