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NPL Site Narrative for Chemfax, Inc.
CHEMFAX, INC.
Gulfport, Mississippi
Federal Register Notice: June 23, 1993Chemfax, Inc. is an 11-acre site bordered by Three Rivers Road and Creosote Road in an industrial section of Harrison County near Gulfport, Mississippi. Chemfax produces petroleum hydrocarbon resins. The primary operation is a paraffin wax blending process. Condensed cooling water used in this process is stored in an onsite cooling pond with an overflow drain that leads to a drainage ditch. Chemfax began operations at the site in 1955.
An additional holding pond that was owned by the Alpine Masonite Co. is located adjacent to Chemfax. Alpine Masonite used the pond to store excess cooling water discharged from its phenolic resin operation. Reportedly, the pond was not used by Chemfax to store wastes but was covered by a layer of paraffin wax that had melted during a fire and flowed into the pond. This wax, along with wax that periodically appeared in the drainage ditch, can be attributed to several fires that occurred at Chemfax in the past.
Air sampling conducted by EPA in May 1990, found high levels of benzene, toluene, xylenes, ethyl benzene, and styrene. The concentrations of benzene detected in the air were over 180 times EPA's health based benchmarks. Other contaminants were also found in air samples significantly above upwind sample concentrations.
Chemfax employs 57 people and Alpine Masonite employs 2 individuals, all of whom are exposed to air contaminants from Chemfax. In addition, there are approximately 45,000 people living within 4 miles of 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.