Site Name: NATIONAL STARCH & CHEMICAL CORP

EPA ID: NCD991278953 EPA Region: 04 Metro Statistical Area: 7140

CEDAR SPRINGS RD, SALISBURY, NC 28144

Operable Unit:

ROD ID: EPA/ROD/R04-90/073 ROD Date: 09/28/90

Contaminant: NONE

Keys: NONE

Abstract:

THE 465-ACRE NATIONAL STARCH AND CHEMICAL SITE IS A MANUFACTURING FACILITY FOR TEXTILE FINISHING AND CUSTOM SPECIALTY CHEMICALS IN ROWAN COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. A PORTION OF THE SITE IS HEAVILY WOODED, AND SURROUNDING LAND USE IS MIXED INDUSTRIAL AND RESIDENTIAL. FROM 1971 TO 1978, APPROXIMATELY 350,000 GALLONS OF REACTION VESSEL WASHWATER CONTAINING SALT BRINES, SULFURIC ACID SOLUTIONS, AND SOLVENTS WERE DISPOSED OF ONSITE IN UNLINED TRENCHES. LIQUID PLANT PRODUCTION WASTES ALSO WERE DISPOSED OF IN THE TRENCHES AFTER BEING HELD IN AN UNLINED PRETREATMENT LAGOON. IN 1976, SAMPLING BY THE SITE OPERATOR REVEALED SHALLOW GROUND WATER CONTAMINATION IN THE TRENCH AREA. A STATE INVESTIGATION IN 1977 SUPPORTED THIS FINDING, AND THE STATE REQUESTED THE SITE OPERATOR TO CEASE ONSITE LIQUID WASTE DISPOSAL IN THE TRENCH AREA. A 1988 RECORD OF DECISION (ROD) ADDRESSED OPERABLE UNIT 1 (OU1), WHICH CALLED FOR ONSITE GROUND WATER PUMPING AND TREATMENT, FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF SOIL CONTAMINATION IN THE TRENCH AREA, CONTINUED SURFACE WATER AND SEDIMENT MONITORING AND A SUPPLEMENTAL REMEDIAL INVESTIGATION (RI). THIS ROD ADDRESSES OU2, AND IDENTIFIES NO FURTHER ACTION AS THE REMEDY FOR THE TRENCH AREA SOIL BASED ON THE SUPPLEMENTAL RI. A SUBSEQUENT ROD WILL ADDRESS OU3, THE REMEDIATION OF ONSITE CONTAMINATED SURFACE WATER AND SEDIMENT, WHICH ARE UNRELATED TO THE TRENCH SOIL CONTAMINATION. RESULTS OF THE SUPPLEMENTAL RI INDICATE THAT THE NATURAL LEACHING PROCESS OF PERCOLATING RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE TO REDUCE THE SOIL CONTAMINATION LEVEL. BECAUSE THE EXISTING GROUND WATER TREATMENT SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO TREAT CONTAMINANTS LEACHING INTO THE GROUND WATER, THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL CONTAMINANTS OF CONCERN RELATING TO THE TRENCH AREA SOIL.

THE SELECTED REMEDIAL ACTION FOR OU2 IS NO FURTHER ACTION. SOIL WILL BE MONITORED ON A QUARTERLY BASIS, AND INSTITUTIONAL CONTROLS INCLUDING DEED RESTRICTIONS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED. THE ESTIMATED PRESENT WORTH COST FOR THIS REMEDIAL ACTION IS $151,000, WHICH INCLUDES A TOTAL O&M COST OF $150,000 FOR 30 YEARS.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS OR GOALS; NOT APPLICABLE.

Remedy:

THIS REMEDY ADDRESSES THE REMEDIATION OF RESIDUAL SUBSURFACE SOIL CONTAMINATION. THE UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY HAS SELECTED NO (FURTHER) ACTION FOR THE SECOND OPERABLE UNIT, SPECIFICALLY THE SOILS CONTAINED IN THE "TRENCH AREA". MONITORING OF THE TRENCH AREA SOILS WILL BE CONDUCTED ON A QUARTERLY BASIS TO VERIFY THAT NO UNACCEPTABLE EXPOSURES TO RISKS POSED BY CONDITIONS AT THE SITE OCCUR IN THE FUTURE.

Operable Unit: 04

ROD ID: EPA/ROD/R04-95/189 ROD Date: 10/06/94

Contaminant: acrylimide, 1,2-dicholorethane (1,2-DCA), methyl isobutyl ketone, methanol, styrene, maleic anhydride, vinyl toluene, sulphonated polystrene, epichlorohydrin, octyl alcohol, allyl alcohol, allyl chloride, sodium hydroxide and sulfuric acid

Keys: lagoons, groundwater contamination, soil contamination, wastewater treatment, biodegradation, vapor extraction

Abstract:

Please note that the text in this document summarizes the Record of Decision for the purposes of facilitating searching and retrieving key text on the ROD. It is not the officially approved abstract drafted by the EPA Regional offices. Once EPA Headquarters receives the official abstract, this text will be replaced.

The National Starch & Chemical Company (NSCC) site is located on Cedar Springs Road in Salisbury, North Carolina. The site is approximately five miles south of the City of Salisbury. Land use of the areas immediately adjacent to the NSCC is a mixture of residential and industrial developments. An industrial park is located along the southern property line. A mobile home park adjoins the extreme southwestern corner of the property. Two housing developments lay to the north, one of which is adjacent to the facility property.

In September 1968, Proctor Chemical Company purchased the 465-acre tract of land on Cedar Springs Road. Within the next year, Proctor Chemical was acquired by the NSCC which operated the facility as a separate subsidiary. Construction of the plant on Cedar Springs Road began in 1970. On January 1, 1983, Proctor Chemical Company was dissolved and its operations merge with NSCC.

The primary products of this facility are textile-finishing chemicals and custom specialty chemicals. Volatile and semi-volatile organic chemicals are used in the production process along with acidic and alkaline solutions. Acidic and alkaline solutions are used in the cleaning processes. The liquid waste stream from the manufacturing processes includes reactor and feed line wash and rinse solutions. This wastewater may include a combination of the following chemicals acrylimide, 1,2-dichlorethane (1,2-DCA), methyl isobutyl ketone, methanol, styrene, maleic anhydride, vinyl toluene, sulphonated polystyrene, epichlorohydrin, octyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, allyl alcohol, allyl chloride, sodium hydroxide, and sulfuric acid.

As the result of finding contaminants in groundwater and in the surface water/sediment of the Northeast Tributary, the original scope of work specified in the initial 1987 Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) Work Plan was expanded. The first RI/FS resulted in OU1 ROD which was issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) on September 30, 1988. The OU1 ROD divided the Site into two Operable Units. The ROD required the installation of a groundwater interception, extraction, and treatment system in the western portion of the facility. The contaminants in the groundwater in this area are emanating from the trench area. OU2 further investigated the contaminated soils in the trench area along with the additional monitoring of the surrounding tributaries.

The NSCC site was proposed for inclusion on the National Priorities List (NPL) in April 1985, re-proposed in June 1988, and finalized on the list in October 1989.

The first RI/FS was completed in June 21, 1988 and September 8, 1988, respectively. Following the signs of OU1 ROD, the Agency sent a special notice letter to the Potentially Responsible Party PRP to initiated negotiations on a Consent Decree (CD) for implementing the OU1 Remedial Design/Remedial Action (RD/RA). However, negotiations on the CD were not successful resulting in the Agency issuing an Unilateral Administrative Order (UAO) directing NSCC to design and implement the RA specified in the OU #1 ROD. The effective date of the UAO was July 27, 1989. To date, NSCC is in compliance with the requirements of the July 1989 UAO.

In support of OU2, NSCC generated Supplemental RI and Feasibility (FS) Reports. These reports were prepared in accordance to the December 1, 1986 AOC. These reports were completed in May 1990 and September 1990, respectively. The Supplemental RI reported continued detections of contaminants in the Northeast Tributary but did not identify the source of this contamination. Consequently, the OU2 ROD divided the site into a third operable unit. Following the signing of the OU2 ROD, the Agency sent the PRP another special notice letter in March 1991 to initiate negotiations on a second CD. This CD governed the implementation of the OU2 RA. The CD was signed in August 1991 and was entered by the Federal Court on July 20, 1992.

The primary products of this facility are textile-finishing chemicals and custom specially chemicals. Volatile and semi-volatile organic chemicals are used in the production process along with acidic and alkaline solutions.

Remedy:

The selected remedial action for this site includes devising and implementing a biodegradative study to substantiate that natural degradation is occurring; implementing institutional controls; developing a long-term monitoring program; and performing five year reviews. The major components of the contingent remedial alternative includes: removing volatile organic compounds from the site through vapor extraction; extracting contaminated air from Area 2 through fume incineration; extracting contaminated air from the lagoon are using vapor-phase carbon adsorption filters; and destroying captured vapor-phase carbon filters at a thermal regeneration facility.