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Medley Farm Drum Dump
National Information
Photos/Multimedia
Dual phase well operation system on the Medley Farm Drum Dump 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: SCD980558142Location: Gaffney, Cherokee County, SC
Lat/Long: 34.980500, -081.668500
Congressional District: 05
NPL Status: Proposed: 06/10/86; Final: 03/31/89
Affected Media: Ground water, Soil
Cleanup Status: Construction Complete - Physical cleanup activities have been completed.
Site Reuse/Redevelopment: Potential for Commercial/Light Industrial
Site Manager: Ralph Howard (howard.ralph@epa.gov)
Site Background
The Medley Farm Drum Dump site is located about five miles south of the town of Gaffney in rural Cherokee County, South Carolina. From 1973 to 1978, a 7-acre portion of the 62-acre farm property was used for storing drums of chemical wastes. In June 1983, EPA and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) investigated the site after a local resident reported the off loading of numerous drums on site. More than 5,400 drums were found buried at the property. The drums were in poor condition and many showed signs of previous leaks or were actively leaking. Six unlined lagoons containing 70,000 gallons of contaminated rain water and tons of sludges were also discovered on the site.
Threats and Contaminants
EPA analyses indicated that the drums contained numerous flammable organic liquids, including toluene, benzene, vinyl chloride, and polychlorinated biphenyls. Ground water both on and off the site is contaminated with volatile organic chemicals, including chloroform and 1,1,2-trichloroethane.
A 1-acre area of soil required treatment, while approximately 10 acres of the site were underlain by contaminated ground water requiring treatment.
Site Cleanup Plan
The Record of Decision (ROD) for the site was issued in 1991. Major cleanup elements for the site included:
- Extraction and on-site treatment of contaminated ground water by air stripping.
- Off-site discharge of treated ground water to Jones Creek via a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit.
- In-situ soil vapor extraction of soils that contain contamination above the soil cleanup goals.
- Review of the existing ground water monitoring system to insure proper monitoring of ground water. If deemed necessary, additional monitoring wells will be installed to mitigate any deficiencies in the existing ground water monitoring system.
- Monitoring of soil, ground water, and surface water.
Cleanup Progress
During June and July 1983, an EPA removal action collected and disposed of approximately 2,100 cubic yards of contaminated soil and refuse, 5,400 drums and other containers of hazardous wastes, and 70,000 gallons of contaminated water and sludge from the six unlined lagoons. The lagoons were then backfilled with clean soil.
Construction of both the soil vapor extraction system to treat soils and the 11-well ground water extraction and treatment system to treat ground water was completed in 1995. Both systems operated continuously until 2004. Supplemental dual-phase recovery wells to capture both soil vapor and ground water for treatment were installed in 2000 and 2001 to address areas where greater contamination was present.
As of September 2004, soil had met cleanup goals and the soil vapor extraction system and ground water treatment system were both turned off. Between October 2004 and August 2006, ground water nutrient injections were administered in order to enhance the natural biodegradation of lingering contaminants in the ground water. In 2007, a longer monitoring period of almost 12 months was approved by EPA, to test the degree to which favorable conditions would continue to prevail in site groundwater. In July- August 2008, injections were resumed, targeting wells that maintain elevated contaminant levels. This was followed by a site-wide ground water monitoring event at the end of 2008. A summary report, which showed continued contaminant reductions, was completed in February 2009. EPA completed a Five-Year Review in September 2009 (see link on this page), which included an extensive review of groundwater data to guide continued treatments. Between late August and early October 2009, another injection event was completed in site wells. An additional injection targeting wells that maintain elevated contaminant levels was performed in July and August 2008, and a site-wide ground water monitoring report was completed in February 2009. EPA completed a Five-Year Review in September 2009 (see link on this page), which included an extensive review of groundwater data to guide continued treatments. Between late August and early October 2009, another injection event was completed in site wells.
Site cleanup activities are being led primarily by potentially responsible parties (PRPs) with oversight by EPA.
Enforcement Activities
On June 30, 1987, EPA signed a Consent Decree with the generators of the waste at the site for reimbursement of 83% of costs incurred by the United States in the 1983 removal action.
On January 29, 1988, EPA issued an Administrative Order on Consent to the PRPs for performance of the remedial investigation and feasibility study.
Community Involvement
EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the Medley Farm Drum Dump 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, fact sheets, and public meetings on cleanup activities and updates.
Future Work
Following established protocol, the recently-completed injection treatment will be followed by a recovery period. Sampling is planned for March 2010. Based upon the results, the PRPs’ contractor will prepare a progress report. EPA will meet with all parties later in 2010 to discuss progress and possible modifications or improvements to the ongoing treatments. Specific plans for continued injection treatment events will be proposed by the PRPs’ contractor, based on the results from March 2010 and on EPA and State comments. The PRPs will continue to perform injection treatments as required. .
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.
Cherokee County Public Library
300 East Rutledge Street
Gaffney, SC 29340
Administrative Record Index
- 3rd Five-Year Review, 2009 (PDF) (163 pp, 12MB, About PDF)
- Administrative Record, 1991 (PDF) (14 pp, 884K, About PDF)
- Administrative Record, 1994 (PDF) (2 pp, 52K, About PDF)
- ESD (PDF) (2 pp, 54K, About PDF)
For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.