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NPL Site Narrative for Geigy Chemical Corp. (Aberdeen Plant)
GEIGY CHEMICAL CORP. (ABERDEEN PLANT)
Aberdeen, North Carolina
Federal Register Notice: October 4, 1989Conditions at proposal (June 24, 1988): The Geigy Chemical Corp. Site covers 1 acre in eastern Moore County, North Carolina. It is on a railroad right-of-way on Route 211 just east of the corporate city limits of Aberdeen. Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad owns the land, but it has been occupied by various chemical companies since 1947. Four aboveground storage tanks, an office building, and warehouses now occupy the site.
During 1949-55, Geigy Chemical Corp. formulated technical-grade solid and liquid pesticides at the site. DDT was blended, along with other chlorinated pesticides such as lindane and toxaphene. Olin Chemicals subsequently operated the plant from 1956 to 1967.
In 1987, EPA detected pesticides, including toxaphene, DDT, and lindane, in surface and subsurface soils on the site. Ground water contamination is possible because the State has found low concentrations of lindane in private and municipal wells. The Sandhill Aquifer underlying the site supplies all drinking water for Moore County. At the site, a layer of sand and clay overlies the aquifer, resulting in moderate permeability. The Aberdeen Public Water Supply System and numerous private wells within 3 miles of the site serve an estimated 7,400 people.
Surface water drains southwest toward Aberdeen Creek. Drainage collects in several unnamed tributaries that partially feed Aberdeen Creek, which is used for recreational activities.
The site is unfenced, making it possible for people and animals to come into direct contact with hazardous substances.
Status (October 4, 1989): Under a CERCLA Section 106 Administrative Order on Consent signed December 16, 1988, Ciba-Geigy, Olin Chemicals, and the State will conduct a remedial investigation/feasibility study to determine the type and extent of contamination at the site and identify alternatives for remedial action. EPA is working with the companies to develop a workplan.
In February 1989, the three companies excavated 142 tons of waste and transported it to a hazardous waste facility regulated under Subtitle C of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
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.