The Site is the location of a complete fertilizer production plant. Fertilizer manufacturing began at the Site prior to 1884 and continued until 1924. A review of historical Sanborn maps provides the layout and components of the VCC Wando facility. The Site was used for acid production included an acid chamber structure, an ore shed, a nitre house, pyrite burners, sulfur burners, a sulfur shed, a bunk house, a nitrate of soda house, a chlorination building, a laboratory, a rock shed, a concentrating building, and rail sidings.
Plant operations were conducted along the Ashley River on the parcel currently occupied by the Osprey Place Apartment complex. Based on information gathered from land deeds, the combined area of the Site is approximately 74 acres; however, the former plant was located on approximately 11 acres along the Ashley River front. The property has since been subdivided and currently occupies 7 separate tax parcels
In April 2008 Exxon Mobil's contractor conducted a Removal Site Evaluation and submitted the results to EPA. In August 2008, the RSE report was forwarded to the EPA Region 4 Emergency Response and Removal Branch (ERRB) for consideration using CERCLA removal authorities. In September 2008, ERRB completed a review of the site information and concluded that the site meets the criteria as set forth in 40 CFR 300.415 (b) (2) for a time-critical removal
