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NPL Site Narrative for Terry Crk Drdge Spoil Areas/Herc Outfall
TERRY CREEK DREDGE SPOIL AREAS/HERCULES OUTFALL
Brunswick, Georgia
Federal Register Notice: April 1, 1997The Terry Creek Dredge Spoil Areas/Hercules Outfall site is located in Brunswick, Georgia. The site consists of four source areas, three disposal areas and the Hercules outfall. The sources border Dupree Creek, Terry Creek and the Back River. From 1948 through December of 1980 Hercules Inc produced toxaphene as its principal product. During this period Hercules (formerly known as Hercules Powder Plant) discharged wastewater directly into Dupree Creek. Areal interpretation of a November 12, 1971 photograph discovered a plume on Dupree Creek emanating from the Hercules outfall. Allegedly in 1966 Hercules Inc released wastewater discharge that contained approximately 250 to 300 pounds of toxaphene per day.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Savannah District has been involved in dredging Terry and Dupree Creeks since 1938. Dredged soil had been disposed in three principal areas. Although it is not clear when, at some time the sediments dredged from Terry and Dupree Creeks were determined to be contaminated with toxaphene. The largest disposal area used by the USACE during the Terry Creek Project is approximately 16.7 acres. The impoundment construction was such that sediment and water were deposited directly into the spoil area. As the solids settle out of the dredge slurry, water was allowed to drain out of three weirs and back into Terry and Dupree Creeks.
In 1995, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4 conducted an Expanded Site Inspection (ESI). A total of 45 samples were collected during the ESI, including: two groundwater samples collected from private wells; 16 surface soil samples; 16 subsurface soil samples; 12 surface water samples, and 17 sediment samples collected from Dupree and Terry Creeks and the Back River. Samples collected from the impoundment and contaminated dredge areas contained elevated concentrations of toxaphene as well as the sediments of Dupree Creek, Terry Creek and the Back River.
Runoff from the surface impoundment flows north, northeast or toward discharge points into Dupree Creek. From this point of entry, Dupree Creek flows 0.4 mile where it converges with Terry Creek. Terry Creek flows east for 1.3 miles and merges with the Back River. The Back River flows south for approximately 1.8 miles where it empties into the St. Simons Sound. The downstream 15-mile surface water migration pathway terminates in St. Simons Sound. The upstream migration carries runoff and discharge 4,000 feet north to the origin of Dupree Creek. The entire pathway is a recreational fishery, and a habitat for several threatened and endangered species.
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.