As part of the Region 4 Virginia-Carolina Chemical Company (VCC) Initiative with Exxon Mobil Corporation, an inventory of 40 former VCC facilities were identified which may have been contaminated with heavy metals from historic operations at a former phosphate fertilizer plant. The properties were targeted for future assessment and cleanup where warranted. The VCC Columbus Site(the Site) was one of the 40 areas targeted. The Site is located in Columbus, Muscogee County, Georgia within a mix use residential and commercial area. The Site is comprised of 22.5 acres, most of which have been redeveloped into approximately 32 parcels of mixed use residential and commercial properties. The Site was screened and sampled to identify conditions which would trigger a removal action by the EPA in order to remove or minimize any potential threats to human health or the environment. There was no visible evidence of the former structures utilized to process the phosphate fertilizer product. The Removal Site Evaluation (RSE) included the review of historic documentation and the completion of a soil sampling event with XRF screening and confirmatory lab analysis. The RSE disclosed that there is significant surficial lead and arsenic contamination throughout the sampled areas of the residential properties. Small children and elderly persons reside at several of the homes where lead and arsenic were detected in the surface soils.
On May 30, 2006, EPA's Emergency Response and Removal Branch (ERRB) sampled the Site to determine the full extent of contamination in the area. One industrial property, 6 residential properties, an elementary school playground, and a right away were sampled. Analytical results from the sampling event revealed the presence of elevated levels of lead and arsenic in residential surface soils at the Site. The arsenic and lead contamination was detected in the soils as high as 1,400 mg/kg and 13,000 mg/kg, respectively. Based on the high levels of lead and arsenic in surface soils and the potential threat posed by these contaminants to public health or the environment, the Site was recommended for a time-critical removal to remove the arsenic-and-lead-contaminated soils.
Activities conducted during this report period included the completion of Site restoration and transportation and disposal activities. EPA's ERRS contractor completed restoration at 1511 and 1515 Murray Street, including replacement of lawns, shrubbery and appurtenances removed or relocated during the cleanup and grading to promote effective drainage. All disposal profile samples related to the excavated soils passed TCLP landfill disposal criteria and were disposed off site as non-hazardous waste. A total of 825 tons of lead-and arsenic-contaminated soils were excavated and disposed during this action.
All elements of the removal action memorandum for this site were met. Actions taken during this project were successful in removing the lead and arsenic contamination in surface soils at 1511 and 1515 Murray Street. No further removal action (NFRAP) is planned for the Site.
NFRAP
A limited amount of arsenic contamination (est less than 20 cubic yards)in surface soils exceeding the industrial RAL was detected during the RSE within the confines of the paper recycling facility. EPA provided the facility with all related data, including the locations of soil contamination identified at the property. On November 2, 2007, in a meeting held between EPA and the facility’s owner, the owner agreed to conduct a voluntary action, within the calendar year, to remove and dispose or otherwise eliminate the contact threat posed to human health or the environment by the contaminated soils identified at the facility. The Georgia Department of Environmental Protection was notified by EPA of the facility’s voluntary commitment to address the cleanup and ensure related cleanup goals meet or exceed the State’s Applicable or Relevant and Appropriate Requirements for cleanup.
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