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Rock Hill Chemical Co./Rutledge Property
National Information
Photos/Multimedia
Cleanup operations at the Rock Hill Chemical 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: SCD980844005Location: Rock Hill, York County, SC
Lat/Long: 34.966100, -080.998500
Congressional District: 05
NPL Status: Proposed: 06/24/88; Final: 02/21/90
Affected Media: Ground water
Cleanup Status: Construction complete - physical cleanup activities have been completed
Site Reuse/Redevelopment: Currently unused
Site Manager: Robert West (west.robert@epa.gov)
Site Background
The Rock Hill Chemical Company site (a.k.a., Rutledge Property) is a 4.5-acre site located within the City of Rock Hill in York County, South Carolina. The site is bounded by Cherry Road and the former Rock Hill Mall to the south; commercial areas to the west: residential property (single-family dwellings) and an unnamed stream to the north; and a shopping plaza (i.e., The Market on Cherry Road) to the east. Land use in the vicinity of the site is light commercial and residential.
From 1960 through 1964, the site was the location of the Rock Hill Chemical Company (RHCC), a facility where paint solvents were distilled and reportedly, textile dye products were recovered. Paint sludges, textile dye products, still bottoms, and other wastes generated during the reclamation process were stored in piles placed directly onto the ground. In some cases, waste products were buried at the site. The company ceased operations late in 1964. In October 1964, a fire at the facility caused drums of oil and chemicals to explode, releasing their contents into the environment. Since that time, no other industrial activity has taken place at the site.
First Federal Savings Bank bought a portion of the property in 1972. In 1984, the bank began to construct a branch office on the property. During construction activities, it was discovered that the property was contaminated.
Threats and Contaminants
Removal actions were conducted to address soil contamination in 1986 and 1987. Follow-up sampling determined that the contaminated soils were successfully removed and no further cleanup action for soils was necessary.
The site’s principal threat is ground water contamination. Contaminants of concern in ground water include trichloroethene, 1,2 Dichloroethene, vinyl chloride, and manganese.
Site Cleanup Plan
A Record of Decision (ROD) for the site, describing the cleanup plan for ground water, was issued in 1994. Major components of the cleanup approach included:
- Extraction of contaminated ground water.
- Direct discharge of extracted ground water to a city-owned wastewater treatment facility.
- Deed restrictions.
- Long-term ground water monitoring.
- Additional field work during the cleanup design phase, including analysis of private wells and monitoring wells, and sampling of surface water, sediments, and soil.
Cleanup Progress
In 1986, contaminated soil as well as drums were excavated and disposed of at a hazardous waste landfill by the bank, under the supervision of the State.
In late 1987 -1989, on another parcel of land, waste from several tanks, the tanks themselves, and contaminated soil beneath the tanks were excavated and shipped to a hazardous waste landfill.
The ground water treatment system, required in the ROD, began operation in December 1995
The second Five-Year Review (FYR), completed in 2006, found that a protectiveness determination of the cleanup approach could not be made until further information about potential risk of vapor (from contaminated ground water) to occupants of current and future on-site buildings is obtained. EPA and South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control have evaluated the potential risk from vapor intrusion and concluded that at current contaminant levels vapor intrusion does not pose a risk at the site. Additionally, the FYR concluded that ongoing ground water monitoring should be continued, institutional controls need to be implemented, and performance standards specified in the ROD must be met. An FYR Addendum was issued in 2008.
Site cleanup activities are being led primarily by potentially responsible parties with oversight by EPA.
Enforcement Activities
In 1995, EPA issued a Unilateral Administrative Order, requiring PRPs to develop and implement the design for the cleanup approach specified in the ROD.
Community Involvement
EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the Rock Hill Chemical Co. 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 FYR is scheduled for September 2011..
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.
York County Library
138 East Black Street
Rock Hill, SC 2793
Administrative Record Index
- OU-1 (PDF) (10 pp, 406K, About PDF)
For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.