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Fact Sheet
March 2005
First Five-Year Review Begins
Shaw Avenue Superfund Site
Charles City, Iowa
Introduction
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducts regular five-year reviews on Superfund sites where cleanups have been completed. These reviews are required by the Superfund law [42 U.S.C. § 9621(c)]. EPA Region 7 and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) have initiated the first five-year review of the Shaw Avenue Superfund site in Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa.
Site Background
The site is approximately 600 feet from the Cedar River, near the intersection of Shaw Avenue and Clark Avenue, in southeastern Charles City, Iowa. The site occupies a portion of the 100-year flood plain of the Cedar River.
The Shaw Avenue site is owned by the city of Charles City. The site is about 2,000 feet northeast to southwest and 525 feet wide. The Iowa Terminal Railroad tracks bound the site to the west. The site is fenced on the north and east sides and is bordered by the Cedar River to the south.
Charles City purchased the northern portion of the site in 1899 and continued to acquire sections of it until 1964. A municipal landfill was operated on the site from sometime prior to 1949 until 1964 and the site has been used for disposal of liming sludge from Charles City’s drinking water treatment plant. The site was also used by Salsbury Laboratories, Inc. (later Solvay Animal Health, Inc.) from 1949 to 1953 to dispose of waste generated by chemical processing of arsenic and other compounds used in Salsbury’s production of animal pharmaceuticals.
Sludges from the Charles City waste water treatment plant were disposed of at the site from 1949 to 1964. During this same period the city received liquid industrial waste from Salsbury, including arsenic, nitrophenol, orthonitroaniline, nitrobenzene, and 1,1,2-trichloroethane. In 1989, Salsbury Laboratories, Inc. merged with Solvay Verterinary, Inc. to form Solvay Animal Health, Inc.
In 1977 the site was identified as a potential hazardous waste site by IDNR. Several IDNR reports between 1977 and 1981 documented arsenic contamination in surface water in an abandoned gravel pit near the site.
The site was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL) in July 1987. In 1987 EPA notified Salsbury Laboratories and Charles City of their potential liability and a Consent Order was completed in 1988. A remedial investigation and feasibility study were completed in 1991.
A Record of Decision (ROD) was completed in September, 1991. The remedy
included fixation/stabilization of chemical fill and contaminated soil,
installation of a low permeability cap, and ground water monitoring. In
March,1992, an Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD) implemented
a contingency remedy of excavation with a hydraulic excavator with treatment
and disposal at an offsite landfill. In 1992 EPA entered into a Consent
Decree with the city of Charles City and Solvay Animal Health, Inc., the
successor to Salsbury Laboratories, Inc. The Consent Decree required the
city of Charles City and Solvay Animal Health, Inc. (now Fort Dodge Animal
Health, a division of American Home Products Corporation) to perform the
excavation and disposal of the contaminated soil, to implement the restrictive
covenant on the site property and to conduct the ground water monitoring.
The remedial action was completed in 1994. In September, 2000 a ROD addressed
the ground water (Operable Unit 2) and required continued ground water
monitoring.
Five-Year Review
This is the first five-year review to be conducted for this site. In
this five year review it will be determined if this site continues to
be protective of human health and the environment. We encourage the community
to tell us about site conditions or any concerns.
Additional Information
The site Administrative Record is available at the following locations:
Charles City Public Library
106 Milwaukee Mall
Charles City, Iowa
EPA Records Center
901 N. 5th Street
Kansas City, Kansas
If you have questions or need more information on this site or the five-year review process, please contact:
Fritz Hirter
Community Involvement Coordinator
U.S. EPA Region 7
901 North 5th Street
Kansas City, KS 66101
(913) 551-7003
Toll Free: (800) 223-0425
E-mail:
hirter.fritz@epa.gov
