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Wamchem, Inc.
National Information
Photos/Multimedia
Site office and ground water pump and treat scrubbing towers at the Wamchem 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: SCD037405362Location: Beaufort, Beaufort County, SC
Lat/Long: 32.497210, -080.741660
Congressional District: 02
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: Michael Townsend (townsend.michael@epa.gov)
Site Background
The Wamchem Inc. site is located in Beaufort, Beaufort County, South Carolina, in a rural area north of the City of Beaufort. The site consists of an approximately 25-acre area that is bounded on the north by a residential property, and to the south by a Marine Corps air station. A salt marsh is located along the eastern boundary of the site, and U.S. Highway 21 is located along the site’s western boundary. The area around the site is sparsely populated and consists of a mixture of residential, commercial and industrial properties. The nearest surface water body, McCalleys Creek, boarders the site to the east. McCalleys Creek is used for recreational fishing and commercial shellfish harvesting. Property development within this area of Beaufort has essentially remained unchanged since the 1990s.
The Wamchem site was used to produce dye products from the 1950s until 1982. Sampling investigations performed in 1982 by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and Law Engineering revealed the presence of site-related contaminants within the soil and ground water.
Threats and Contaminants
As a result of site operations, including a wastewater spray irrigation field, the ground water and soils were contaminated with acetone, benzene, 1,2-dichlorobenzene, 1,4-dichlorobenzene, naphthalene, toluene, 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, and xylene. Sediments at the site were contaminated with acetone, 1,2-dichlorobenzene, 1,4-dichlorobenzene, toluene, and chlorobenzene.
Site Cleanup Plan
EPA issued a Record of Decision describing the cleanup approach for the site in 1988. The cleanup approach consisted of low temperature thermal destruction of contaminated soils and the recovery and treatment of contaminated ground water.
Cleanup Progress
In 1993, approximately 1,800 tons of contaminated soils were treated on site via low temperature thermal desorption. Follow-up sampling revealed that treatment efforts were successful in meeting cleanup goals.
In 1996, a five well ground water pump and treat system was constructed. It has been in operation since September 1996 and is the only currently active component of the site cleanup approach.
The third Five-Year Review (FYR) for the site, completed in 2009, found the cleanup approach to be protective in the short-term, and there are no exposures under the existing conditions. The FYR also recommended further optimization of the treatment system to assure long-term protectiveness.
Site cleanup activities are being led primarily by a potentially responsible party (PRP) with oversight by EPA.
Enforcement Activities
In 1989, EPA entered into a Consent Decree with the PRP for the design and construction of the cleanup approach.
Community Involvement
EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the Wamchem, Inc. 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
Annual ground water monitoring is being conducted for the site.
The next FYR for the site is scheduled to be completed in 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.
Beaufort County Library
311 Scott St.
Beaufort, SC 29902
Administrative Record Index
- OU-1 (PDF) (8 pp, 210K, About PDF)
For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.