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Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot
National Information
Photos/Multimedia
Site photo goes here.
- 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: SC6170022762Location: Port Royal, Beaufort County, SC
Lat/Long: 32.352800, -080.703100
Congressional District: 02,06
NPL Status: Proposed: 08/23/94; Final: 12/16/94
Affected Media: Sediment, Soil
Cleanup Status: Physical cleanup activities have started
Site Reuse/Redevelopment: Active military recruit training facility
Site Manager: Lila Koroma-Llamas (koroma-llamas.lila@epa.gov)
Site Background
The Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) is located on a barrier island off the South Carolina coast, approximately 30 miles northeast of Savannah, Georgia. Hilton Head Island, the closest point on the mainland, is located approximately three miles southwest of the MCRD across Port Royal Sound. The MCRD has been operated as a recruit training facility for the U.S. Marine Corps since 1915. The MCRD consists mainly of administrative office buildings, training facilities, family and recruit housing, building and vehicle maintenance shops and community facilities.
The MCRD lies within a system of islands, marshes and interconnecting man-made causeways that form a peninsula and consists of roughly 2,894 acres of dry land at the depot and approximately 3,816 acres of salt marshes, tidal ponds and streams. Commercial and recreational fishing activities are conducted in the vicinity of the MCRD. The surrounding area also serves as habitat for migratory threatened and endangered species of wildlife (including the southern bald eagle, the wood stork, the Eskimo curlew and the short-nosed sturgeon) and their food sources.
Threats and Contaminants
The MCRD was listed on the National Priorities List in 1994 based on the potential for surface water and human food chain contamination resulting from potential contaminated surface water runoff and/or migration of landfill leachate to adjacent marshes and waterways.
Site Cleanup Plan
The MCRD cleanup plan is complex. Since 1986, 55 sites have been identified requiring investigation and/or cleanup. These include, for example, former active landfills and spills where ground water and sediment have been found to be contaminated from the prior release or disposal of paint wastes, construction debris, incinerator ash, solvents and petroleum products.
Most of the 55 sites are being addressed through the Navy Installation Restoration Process in accordance with the federal Superfund program. Several sites have been transferred to the State Underground Storage Tank (UST) program. Some sites are also being addressed under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Of the 55 sites, approximately half of these require no further cleanup action.
Specific sites being addressed under the Superfund program are referred to as Operable Units (OUs). An OU may comprise one or more individual sites. OUs require a Record of Decision (ROD) describing the preferred cleanup plan for addressing contamination not already addressed through prior cleanup actions. Since 2000, RODs have been issued for OUs 1, 2, and 3, and most recently for OU-5 (Site 12).
Major components of the cleanup approach for OU-5 (Site 12) include:
- Excavation of surface debris, soil, and sediment.
- Verification sampling and analysis.
- Excavated material disposal at an approved off-site disposal facility.
- Site restoration.
- Land use controls.
Details of cleanup approaches for other OU/sites at MCRD are available online.
Cleanup Progress
A range of cleanup actions have taken place at the MCRD. Details of cleanup actions already implemented or being planned are discussed below.
OU-1 – This OU is one of three landfills bordered by salt marshes and tidal creeks. The cleanup approach for OU-1 was implemented in 2006 and included consolidation of waste materials under a landfill cap and use of institutional controls. Ground water and vegetation monitoring will be ongoing.
OU-2 – This OU is one of three landfills bordered by salt marshes and tidal creeks. A baseline risk assessment for OU-2 determined that there were no unacceptable levels of risk for either human health or the environment, and therefore the cleanup approach for OU-2 was No Further Action. Ground water and vegetation monitoring will be ongoing.
OU-3 – This OU is one of three landfills bordered by salt marshes and tidal creeks. OU-3 was the first to have a cleanup decision selected, described in the 2000 Interim ROD. Interim cleanup action for OU-3 was completed in 2002. The Proposed Plan for OU-3 has been drafted and submitted to EPA for review. The Proposed Plan is based on the assumptions that no further physical construction will be needed, but land use controls will be implemented. The Proposed Plan will not be finalized until the Risk Assessment document is approved. The final ROD for OU-3 is scheduled to be issued in late 2009.
OU-4 (Site 45) –This site is a reportable spill of tetrachloroethylene (PCE), which occurred at a dry cleaners facility in 1994. The spill occurred when a storage tank was inadvertently overfilled, spilling PCE into a concrete containment basin, which later flooded during a heavy rain event. PCE was released to the ground when the containment basin was drained following heavy rains. Base personnel excavated much of the PCE-saturated soil. Subsequent sampling detected limited soil contamination. However, total concentrations of chlorinated solvents in ground water (including PCE and others) exceeded one parts per million in two distinct plumes, located seven feet and 14 feet below ground surface.
Based on this information, the decision was made to implement a ground water pump and treat system via a Non-Time-Critical Removal Action. Implementation of the removal action began in spring 1998. The pump and treat system experienced problems with build-up, which required the system to be repeatedly shut down for cleaning. Each time, the period of satisfactory performance got shorter and shorter, until the decision was made to discontinue the pump and treat system. A treatability study using chemical oxidation was also implemented but failed to yield usable results. As additional data was gathered, it became apparent that the plume had migrated beyond the original bounds. The site has now been evaluated under an extensive Remedial Investigation, to fully delineate the current location of the plume, and to prepare for a Feasibility Study to evaluate other remedial alternatives.
The Original Remedial Investigation Report for OU-4 (Site 45) was conditionally approved in 2005, contingent upon submission and approval of a Remedial Investigation Amendment to fill additional data gaps. Several other treatability study work plans were submitted in 2006. One treatability study was planned to look at the effectiveness of Emulsified Zero Valent Iron injections at the primary source areas of the plume, as well as a study on Flux Meters. During the additional Remedial Investigation a potential secondary source zone was found. Another treatability study using a modified Fenton’s Reagent is being planned for treatment on-site near the secondary source zone. Some preliminary work has been completed.
The U.S. Geological Survey was also called in to assist in determining the fate of the contaminated ground water plume, effects of tidal influences on the plume waters, potential vapor intrusion concerns, and to answer questions regarding the secondary source zone. It was discovered that contaminated ground waters at high tide were entering the storm water drains and exiting via the discharge pipe in the marsh over 1,000 feet away. Impacts to the marsh are being investigated. A Remedial Investigation Amendment will be developed soon to address this additional data.
OU-5 (Site 12) – This site is Jericho Island, a barrier island of about 25 acres in size. The island was previously owned by a private citizen, who utilized the island as an unofficial residential waste disposal area. The MCRD had to purchase the island in order to meet arc requirements for their rifle range training area. A Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study for OU-5 was initiated in 1998 and completed during dispute negotiations (see “Enforcement Activities” below).
By early 2006, MCRD had completed cleanup actions, disposing of waste via excavation and off-site disposal. Cleanup levels were set such that the result will be unrestricted use and unlimited exposure for all media except surficial ground water. The excavation areas were restored to match adjacent healthy ecosystems. Monitoring of vegetation recovery is ongoing.
OU-7 (Site 9), OU-8 (Site 16), OU-9 (Site 27) and OU-10 (Site 55) – Initially these OU/sites are being addressed collectively under one Remedial Investigation. The sites are co-located, and there appears to be cross-contamination of contaminants of concern. OU-7 is a paint waste disposal area; OU-8 is a pesticide storage, mixing, and rinsate area. A fair distance removed from OU-7 and OU-8 is OU-10, a Fiber Optic Vault. The vault was found to contain floating fuels and contaminants (benzene, chlorobenzene, and pesticides). OU-9, a previous drum and excess material storage area, is located some distance downgradient from OU-10.
The Remedial Investigation has been initiated. Preliminary results show floating fuels on top of the ground water, benzene and chlorobenzene as well as pesticides at high concentrations in the ground water, and these volatiles in areas of potential vapor intrusion concerns. A second round of sampling is being conducted to attempt to delineate the plume, and to look for potential sources (other than the obvious floating fuels) in either the ground water or soils. Once the Remedial Investigation is completed a determination will be made as to whether or not these sites will continue to be processed collectively. OU-9 has been targeted for construction of a new motor-T facility, which has caused the urgency on behalf of the Navy/MCRD to be elevated, which in turn is impacting the effectiveness of the investigation.
A Five-Year Review (FYR) was approved in September 2005. The review found that two issues exist, which require follow-up actions: 1) inadequate land use controls, and 2) subsidence at landfills. Actions recommended to address these issues can be found in the report, and will be further negotiated and documented in future Superfund documents, such as Land Use Control Remedial Designs and Long-Term Monitoring Plans.
The Department of the Navy (the Navy) is leading site cleanup activities with oversight by EPA.
Enforcement Activities
The approval of RODs was suspended during negotiation of a Federal Facilities Agreement (FFA) and during a Post-ROD Authority dispute between the Department of Defense (DOD) and EPA. However, cleanup efforts went forward to the degree possible, ensuring that public participation opportunities were available and comments/concerns were addressed.
FFA negotiations commenced in 1996. The FFA was finalized in 2005, and was signed and made effective March 31, 2006. During this same time frame, the dispute was settled between EPA and DOD making Post-ROD roles and responsibilities more clear. Since the FFA became effective, approvals have been obtained for all pending RODs (OUs 1, 2, and 5 had RODs pending by that time).
Community Involvement
EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the Parris Island MCRD 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 FYR will be conducted in 2010, and every five years after that, for as long as wastes which exceed acceptable exposure levels remains on site.
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.
Administrative Record Index
For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.