The former US Finishing/Cone Mills site is located at 3555 Old Buncombe Road approximately 3 miles north of downtown Greenville, SC. In 1890, the brothers Moses and Ceasar Cone formed the Cone Export & Commission Company of Greensboro, North Carolina and had company offices at 61 Worth St. New York City, New York.  The most noted of the Greensboro group of mills founded by the Cone Brothers was the White Oak Mills. Construction was begun in 1903 and was completed in 1905.  

Operational details from 1903 through 1957 are not available although it is known that the White Oak Mill (facility) was expanded on several occasions. In 1947, the facility was sold to the Aspinook Corporation and, in 1957, to the Cone Mills Corporation (Cone Mills).  Cone Mills operated the facility until 1984 under the name Union Bleachery.  American Fast Print, Ltd. (AFP) purchased the facility in May 1984 and operated until Novemebr 2003 under the name US Finishing until the main plant was partially destroyed by fire.  AFP is the current property owner of a large portion of the facility.  In July 2004, Piper Properties purchased approximately 19 acres along the Reedy River from Cone Mills.  The facility property is currently in temporary receivership.  

The originally named White Oak Mills is the subject of the Remedial Program’s referral and is referred to in this document as the 259 acre US Finishing/Cone Mills site.

The following description is a chronological summary of environmental enforcement:

• In November 1980, Cone Mills submitted a Hazardous Waste Permit Application. 
• In 1981, Cone Mills submitted a Notification of Hazardous Waste Site to EPA Region 4.
• From 1981 thru 1984, investigations required under South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) oversight documented excessive chromium contamination in Langston Creek and in groundwater beneath the main facility plant.  SCDHEC entered into a Consent Decree in May 1984 with Cone Mills, and AFP requiring continued recovery and treatment of contaminated groundwater.
• In December 1985, SCDHEC completed a Preliminary Assessment (PA) for the Cone Mills Union Bleachery Plant documenting chromium in groundwater.
• AFP completed the Remedial Investigation (RI) from August 1990 to June 1991.  Extensive contamination (metals and organics) was documented at various concentrations in groundwater, sludge pits, aeration lagoon, Reedy River floodplain dump, the main plant’s basement and chromium and caustic storage areas.
• In June 1993, the SCDHEC Site Screening Section completed a Site Investigation (SI) for the Cone Mills Union Bleachery Plant.  Additional documentation of chromium contamination was reported in previously documented source areas, surface waters and fish tissue downgradient of the facility.  The Site was assigned a medium priority under CERCLA.  Enforcement strategy focused on the PRPs conducting remediation efforts.
• As part of a 1993 Settlement Agreement, Cone Mills conducted contaminated soils removal between 1993 and 1999 of approximately:
  • 3500 tons of hydrocarbons affected soil
  • 7000 tons of chromium affected soil and
  • 3000 tons of caustic affected soil.
• A fire in November 2003 destroyed much of the main facility. Fifteen to 25 million gallons of fire suppression water containing unknown constituents from the facility released to Langston Creek and the Reedy River.
• Due to an impending bankruptcy, Cone Mills removed the groundwater recovery and treatment system from operation in June 2004, after 20 years of operation.  The system of recovery wells and treatment was in place to prevent the chromium-contaminated ground water plume from entering Langston Creek and the Reedy River.
• In 2004, SCDHEC completed an Expanded Site Inspection (ESI) for the Cone Mills Union Bleachery facility.  Based on the elevated metals findings of the ESI, the facility was given a high priority for further action.
• Removal activities were performed at the facility between October and December 2004 by contractors for AFP (US Finishing).
  •  Soil removal activities were conducted at:
    • SW corner of main plant
    • Sediments from the maintenance shop
    • Soils adjacent to an elevated railroad bed
    • Brine pit contents 
    • Former water treatment basin contents
• In April 2005, SCDHEC conducted site assessment activities to further evaluate the potential threat to human health and the environment. 
• In June 2005, SCDHEC conducted an ESI Update sampling event.
• AFP, Duke Energy Corporation, and Piper Properties of Greenville, Limited Liability Corporation (Piper Properties entered into a settlement agreement with SCDHEC as documented by a Consent Decree in November 2006.
  • Duke Energy conducted removal of PCB contaminated sources
  • In May 2008, SCDHEC petitioned the court to appoint a temporary receiver for property owned by AFP.  SCDHEC petitioned the court to appoint a temporary receiver for Piper Properties in April 2009.
• In March 2011, the EPA proposed the Site for the NPL on the strength of the surface migration pathway.
• In May 2011, the EPA’s Remedial Program referred the site to the Removal Program for an RSE and is part of the Agency's Integrated Cleanup Initiative (ICI).
• Links to the above documents associated with these activities can be found on the epa osc website under documents at EPAOSC USFCM Webpage