North Carolina NPL/NPL Caliber Cleanup Site Summaries

• Site Profile
• Removal Action Pollution Reports
• Additional Site Documents including Five Year Reviews, Records of Decisions (ROD) and Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD).
• For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office (http://www.epa.gov/region4/foiapgs/submit.htm).

Background
The HoltraChem Site is located at 636 John Riegel Road in Riegelwood, Columbus County, North Carolina. The 24-acre Site overlooks the Cape Fear River and is surrounded by International Paper on the remaining three sides. The facility operated from 1963 to 1999 as a chlor-alkali manufacturing plant using the mercury cell process. Mercury served as an electrode, and the electrolytic cell split brine (salt) into chlorine gas. Other products included sodium hydroxide (also called caustic soda or alkali), bleach and hydrogen gas.

In April 2002, an integrated Expanded Site Inspection / Removal Assessment was conducted by the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NC DENR) and EPA. As a result, an Enforcement Action Memorandum was issued by EPA in July 2002 for a Time Critical Removal. An Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) was negotiated with Honeywell International, Inc. Honeywell and its contractors began the Time Critical Removal Action at the Site in January 2003, with oversight provided by EPA. This action included removal of mercury from the 24 cells in the old cell building, dismantling and removing the cells and old cell building, and removing various hazardous chemicals as well as some tanks, piping, asbestos, and other miscellaneous debris from the Site. At the conclusion of the time-critical removal action in October 2004, 17.5 tons of elemental mercury had been reclaimed; 185 boxes of hazardous wastes (20-25 cubic yards each), 28-flat bed trailers carrying the emptied and foam filled mercury cells; 11 boxes of D009 waste, 24 dump trucks of saturator salts, and 124 boxes of non-hazardous waste had been removed from the Site. In addition, over 722 tons of scrap metals was sent to a recycler.

Cleanup Progress: EE/CA Underway + Removal Action Underway
In June 2004, EPA negotiated another AOC with Honeywell for the performance of an Engineering Evaluation / Cost Analysis (EE/CA) for the Site.  This is a comprehensive sampling study to evaluate the full extent of the contamination at the Site and to evaluate options for addressing the contamination.  Extensive sampling has been conducted at the Site over the past few years.  New monitoring wells were also installed.  The data indicates that the primary contaminants of concern are mercury and PCB Aroclor 1268.  However, these are not the only contaminants found at the Site.  The Human Health Risk Assessment has been finalized for the Site.  Step 3a of the Ecological Risk Assessment has been approved by EPA and Honeywell's consultant anticipates submitting Step 3b of the Ecological Risk Assessment by September 30, 2008.  The draft EE/CA report was submitted by Honeywell; EPA and NC DENR have provided extensive comments on this document.

A Time-Critical Removal Action began in May 2008 on the adjacent International Paper (IP) property.  Their former Waste Water Treatment Solids (WWTS) lagoon is contaminated with PCB Aroclor 1268 due to historical waste water discharges from the HoltraChem plant through IP’s waste water treatment system. WWTS with PCB concentrations exceeding 11 mg/kg are being excavated from what is known as Cell #2. WWTS with PCB concentrations less than 50 mg/kg are being placed in IP's landfill Cell #1. WWTS with PCB concentrations greater than or equal to 50 mg/kg are being stockpiled on the HoltraChem property. The first engineered stockpile consists of a 60-mil bottom liner placed on top of the former cell building pad with berms surrounding the stockpile. Approximately 8,000 cubic yards of WWTS has been placed in it. The WWTS in the first engineered stockpile has been covered with a 40-mil liner and the top and bottom liners have been sealed together. Due to more volume of WWTS than anticipated, a second engineered stockpile has been created on the HoltraChem property. As of mid-September, it has approximately 9,000 cubic yards of WWTS in it. It is currently estimated that between 3,000 and 8,000 cubic yards of WWTS remain to be excavated. This removal action is anticipated to be completed by October 31, 2008. The WWTS will remain staged on the HoltraChem property until the final clean-up plan is selected for the Site. The OSC website is updated on a weekly basis, so feel free to visit that website for up-to-date Pollution Reports (POLREPs) and Site photographs. www.epaosc.net/holtrachemWWTS