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NPL Site Narrative for Sheller-Globe Corp. Disposal
SHELLER-GLOBE CORP. DISPOSAL
Keokuk, Iowa
Federal Register Notice: August 30, 1990Conditions at proposal (May 5, 1989): Sheller-Globe Corp. operated an industrial landfill and solvent burning area in Lee County 4 miles north of Keokuk, Iowa, from 1948 to 1972. The 5-acre site is in a heavily wooded, rural area. The land was filled in and sold in 1973 to an individual who built a home on the site and draws water from an on-site well.
Sheller-Globe Corp. manufactured rubber products, including automobile weather stripping, at a facility adjacent to the disposal area. Liquids and sludges from the operation were deposited directly into a ravine with no system for diverting surface run-off. Among wastes deposited, according to the company, were at least 1,000 drums of paint sludge, methylene chloride, toluene diisocyanates, methyl ethyl ketone, isopropyl alcohol, butyl alcohol, and resins containing fluorocarbons. Solvents were periodically burned in the open.
In December 1987 tests, EPA detected arsenic, chromium, lead, mercury, nickel, zinc, benzene, and toluene in on-site soil, ground water, and surface water. An estimated 1,125 people obtain drinking water from private wells within 3 miles of the site.
In December 1987, EPA also observed seepage and an oil sheen on an intermittent stream near the northeast edge of the site. The Mississippi River 2.8 miles downstream of the site is used for recreational boating and fishing.
In March 1988, EPA observed 52 drums on the surface, as well as scrap rubber and polyurethane foam.
Status (August 30, 1990): 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.