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NPL Site Narrative for Benfield Industries, Inc.
BENFIELD INDUSTRIES, INC.
Hazelwood, North Carolina
Federal Register Notice: October 4, 1989Conditions at proposal (June 24, 1988): Benfield Industries, Inc., started mixing and packaging bulk chemicals on a 3.5-acre site in Hazelwood, Haywood County, North Carolina, in 1976. The company listed a wide range of organic and inorganic chemicals for sale. In 1982, a fire destroyed most of the plant; except for minor mixing operations and cleanup of debris from the fire, operations ceased. In 1986, Benfield removed other debris and usable chemicals from the site in preparation for selling the land. Prior to 1976, Unagusta Furniture Co. manufactured mattresses and produced lumber on the site.
In September 1985, the North Carolina Division of Health Services (NCDHS) inspected the site. Analyses by NCDHS indicated high concentrations of polycyclic hydrocarbons, including biphenyl, carbazole, diphenylene oxide, fluoranthene, fluorene, and pyrene, in soil on the western portion of the site and in other places on the site.
The site lies in the floodplain of Richland Creek adjacent to Browning Branch. Local surface water is used for recreational activities. The site is underlain by approximately 60 feet of alluvial deposits and saprolite, which are highly permeable. These conditions facilitate the movement of contaminants into ground water. An estimated 1,800 people obtain drinking water from wells and springs within 3 miles of the site.
The site is unfenced, making it possible for people and animals to come into direct contact with hazardous substances.
The facility is being proposed for the NPL because it is classified as a "protective-filer" under Subtitle C of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and so may not be subject to Subtitle C corrective action authorities.
Status (October 4, 1989): EPA is considering various alternatives for the site.
For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.