EPA RCRA ID: WVD005010277
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Facility Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Enforcement and Compliance
- Related Information
- Contacts for this Facility
Cleanup Status
EPA is the lead agency for managing cleanups at this facility.
In September 1992, Occidental Chemical Company (OxyChem) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) entered into an Administrative Order on Consent to conduct a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Facility Investigation (RFI) and a Corrective Measures Study (CMS) and to perform Interim Measures (IMs), as necessary, at the Facility. The RFI was implemented in two phases: The purpose of Phase I, which was completed in July 1998, was to evaluate whether soil and groundwater quality was impacted by the solid waste management units located on facility property. Phase I field work included extensive surface, subsurface soil and groundwater sampling, aquifer testing, geophysical studies and collection of sediment and surface water samples. The results of Phase I work indicated that there are two broad source areas, the Production Area and Area 7. The Phase II RFI was designed to expand on the Phase I RFI work by further investigating soil and groundwater quality associated with these sources. In addition, Phase II evaluated the potential ecological impact from releases at the site, and included other data collection activities, such as additional surface soil analysis, necessary for the completion of the RFI. Phase II work was initiated in the spring of 1999 and completed by the summer of 2000. The potential human health and ecological risks posed by the site were evaluated for various exposure scenarios. This evaluation was completed in 2003, and EPA approved the Final RFI in February 2004. EPA also approved the Human Health Indicator in 2004.
The property is now managed by Glenn Springs Holdings, Inc. (Glenn Springs). Due to the site's complexity, EPA and Glenn Springs decided the best path forward for the facility would be to implement interim measure cleanups, prior to selecting a final remedy. One of these interim measures was a sheet pile wall, keyed into bedrock, located near the confluence of Reynolds branch and the Kanawha River surrounding Area 7. Glenn Springs installed the wall in the Fall of 2005. Because groundwater data indicated that the sheet-pile wall was not completely impermeable, Glenn Springs installed a system of TreeWells® to maintain hydraulic control within the wall and a geosynthetic cap to restrict infiltration.
In making the Final Remedy decision EPA determined that it is technically impracticable (TI) to attain EPA Groundwater Protection Standards throughout the groundwater plume because free product (DNAPL) at the Facility and adjacent property is unrecoverable due to the hydrogeologic characteristics of the subsurface, the location of the DNAPL, and the extent of the DNAPL. The establishment of a TI Zone represents the best balance of the criteria that EPA considers when selecting a remedy. In addition, ongoing natural attenuation will continue to degrade source area COCs thereby containing the plume onsite. Because contaminants remain in the soil and groundwater at the Facility and adjacent property above levels appropriate for residential use, the Final Remedy for Oxychem requires land and groundwater use restrictions to restrict activities that may result in exposure to those contaminants. In addition, the Final Remedy includes the previously installed sheet pile wall and TreeWells and maintenance of the vegetative cover across the Facility. The Final Remedy is implemented through an Administrative Order On Consent signed September 26, 2013.
On June 28, 2018, the EPA conducted a Long Term Stewardship assessment to assess whether the remedy was implemented and protective of human health and the environment. EPA determined that the remedy institutional and engineering controls have been fully implemented and no control deficiencies were identified.
Cleanup Actions or environmental indicators characterizing the entire facility are shown below. It is not intended as an extensive list of milestones/activities. This listing, and all the data on this page, come from EPA’s RCRAInfo and are refreshed nightly to this page. For this table and the Cleanup Activities Pertaining to a Portion of the Facility table that follows, a blank in the Status column could mean the action either has not occurred or has not been reported in RCRAInfo.
Cleanup Activities Pertaining to the Entire Facility
| Action | Status | Date of Action |
|---|---|---|
| Human Exposure Under Control Human Exposure Under Control(CA725) | ||
| Groundwater Migration Under ControlGroundwater Migration Under Control (CA750) | ||
| Remedy DecisionRemedy Decision (CA400) | ||
| Remedy ConstructionRemedy Construction (CA550) | ||
| Ready for Anticipated Use Ready for Anticipated Use (CA800) | ||
| Performance Standards AttainedPerformance Standards Attained (CA900) | ||
| Corrective Action Process TerminatedCorrective Action Process Terminated (CA999) |
For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Cleanup Activities Pertaining to a Portion of the Facility
| Action | Area Name | Date of Action |
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For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Facility Description
Link to a larger, interactive view of the map.
The former OxyChem facility is located in Belle, West Virginia, approximately 15 miles southeast of Charleston, West Virginia, on a 23-acre site adjacent to the Kanawha River. The Belle Facility is located in a mixed industrial/residential area, which includes the DuPont Belle plant located immediately adjacent to the site's northern property boundary. Chemical production operations began at the site in 1920 by Belle Alkali Company and continued through a succession of owners and tenants until OxyChem purchased the facility in 1986. OxyChem manufactured multi-product chloromethanes from chlorine until the plant shutdown in October 1994. All process equipment and buildings have been taken down and removed from the site.
Contaminants at this Facility
Volatile organic compounds are the main constituents found in the site's soil and groundwater. These compounds primarily consist of methylene chloride, chloroform, and carbon tetrachloride. Semi-volatile organic compounds and metals were also detected.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
Institutional Controls and Engineering Controls:
- Restrict land use to non-residential purposes
- Restrict excavation, earth moving, drilling and construction so it doesn't interfere with the Soil Management Plan for the site
- Maintenance of a geosynthetic cap, vegetative cover, barrier wall and tree wells at Area 7
- Restrict Groundwater to non-potable use and groundwater monitoring
Institutional and Engineering Controls help ensure human exposure and groundwater migration are under control at a cleanup facility. Where control types have been reported by states and EPA in EPA’s RCRAInfo, they are shown below. Not all control types are needed at all facilities, and some facilities do not require any controls. Where there are blanks, the control types may not be needed, may not be in place, or may not be reported in RCRAInfo.
Are Controls in Place at this Facility?
|
Control(s) Type |
Control(s) in Place? |
Areas Subject to Control(s) |
Documents available on-line: |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Institutional ControlsNon-engineering controls used to restrict land use or land access in order to protect people and the environment from exposure to hazardous substances remaining in the site/or facility. (CA 772) |
Informational DevicesInformational Devices (ID) |
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Governmental Controls (GC) |
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Enforcement and Permit Tools (EP) |
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| Proprietary ControlsProprietary Controls (PR) | ||||
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Engineering ControlsEngineering measures designed to minimize the potential for human exposure to contamination by either limiting direct contact with contaminated areas or controlling migration of contaminants. (CA 770) |
Groundwater ControlGroundwater Control (GW) |
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Non-Groundwater |
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For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Enforcement and Compliance at this Facility
EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) provides detailed historical information about enforcement and compliance activities at each RCRA Corrective Action Site in their Enforcement and Compliance Historical Online (ECHO) system.
RCRA Enforcement and Compliance Reports from ECHO
Related Information
For more information about this facility, see these other EPA links:
- RCRA information in EPA’s Envirofacts database
- Information about this facility submitted to EPA under different environmental programs as reported in EPA’s Facility Registry Services
- Alternative Names for this facility as reported by EPA programs in EPA’s Facility Registry Services
- Cleanups in My Community provides an interactive map to see EPA cleanups in context with additional data, and lists for downloading data
- Search RCRA Corrective Action Sites provides a search feature for Corrective Action Sites
Documents, Photos and Graphics
Contacts for this Facility
EPA Region implements and enforces the RCRA Corrective Action program for and federally recognized tribes.
For further information on this corrective action site, use the Contact Information for Corrective Action Hazardous Waste Clean Ups listings that are accessible through Corrective Action Programs around the Nation.