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NPL Site Narrative for Olin Corp. (McIntosh Plant)
OLIN CORP. (MCINTOSH PLANT)
McIntosh, Alabama
Federal Register Notice: September 21, 1984Conditions at listing (September 1983): Olin Corp.'s McIntosh Plant is in Washington County near McIntosh, Alabama. The Olin facility, constructed in the early 1950s, originally manufactured chlorine and caustic soda, using the mercury cell process. In 1956, Olin constructed a pesticide and organic chemical plant on the site. In 1981, Olin closed the organic plant and switched from the mercury cell process to the diaphragm cell process. Additional products still manufactured on-site include sodium chlorate, sodium hypochlorite, and sodium chloride.
Olin's past waste disposal practices have contaminated ground water, according to EPA. On-site wells that once provided the plant's drinking water are known to be contaminated. In August 1982, Olin installed a monitoring system of 75 wells. Analyses of samples from some of the wells have detected chromium, lead, mercury, and chlorinated aromatic compounds. Nearby wells supply the community of McIntosh and the Ciba-Geigy and Olin plants (1,500 employees). Within 1 mile of the site is a sizeable wetlands area. To the east of the site is the Tombigbee River.
Olin is continuing to study the ground water problem and regularly reports to the State.
Status (June 1984): 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.