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Battery Tech (Duracell-Lexington)
National Information
Photos/Multimedia
Remediated stream and sediments at the Battery Tech (Duracell-Lexington) site.
- Additional Site Photos
- Site Video
Additional Resources
- Site Cleanup Terms - can be found in EPA's glossary
- EPA Guides to Cleanup Technologies
- Superfund Community Involvement (PDF) (17 pp, 130K, About PDF)
Site Summary Profile
EPA ID: NCD000648402Location: Lexington, Davidson County, NC
Lat/Long: 35.728737, - 80.055377
Congressional District: 06
NPL Status: Superfund Alternative Site
Affected Media: Ground water, Sediment, Soil
Cleanup Status: Remedy construction is complete - ground water monitoring is ongoing.
Site Reuse/Redevelopment: Potential for Commercial/Light Industrial
Site Manager: Ken Mallary (mallary.ken@epa.gov)
Site Background
The 26-acre Battery Tech/Duracell site is a former battery manufacturing facility located in Lexington, Davidson County, North Carolina. As part of site operations, the facility produced various mercury compounds, including mercuric oxide, for the on-site production of battery cells. The facility also operated a mercury reclamation furnace, which the State estimates released nearly 10,000 pounds of mercury into the air. Additionally, various solvents used to clean equipment and spent solvents were routinely disposed of in a gravel pit situated on the property.
The site is not listed on the National Priorities List (NPL), but is considered to be an NPL-caliber site and is being addressed through the Superfund Alternative Approach. This approach uses the same investigation and cleanup process and standards that are used for sites listed on the NPL.
Threats and Contaminants
Sampling results detected elevated levels of mercury and organic compound contamination in soil and ground water, and elevated mercury levels in sediment. An ecological assessment was conducted during the remedial investigation which documented potential risks to small vertebrates around the site.
Site Cleanup Plan
The cleanup plan for the Battery Tech site covered two operable units (OUs): OU-1 (soil and sediment) and OU-2 (ground water).
The Record of Decision (ROD) for OU-1 was issued in 1990. Major elements of the cleanup plan included:
- In-situ stabilization/solidification (S/S) of contaminated soil in the former Plant #2 area, followed by capping of the former Plant #2 area.
- In-situ chemical oxidation of contaminated soil in the former solvent disposal area, followed by capping of the former solvent disposal area.
- Selective excavation and off-site disposal of contaminated soil in the Building #4 area and the northern site area, and contaminated soils and sediments located outside the facility fence line.
- Capping of other areas located within the facility fence line for ecological concerns.
- Long-term monitoring of site-related contamination in soil, sediments, and ecological receptors.
The Record of Decision (ROD) for OU-2 was issued in 2002. Major elements of the cleanup plan included:
- Institutional controls 1) to prohibit future residential use of the facility property, and 2) to ensure that site-related contaminated ground water, both on and off the facility property, is not used for any household purposes in the future.
- Ground water extraction and treatment will be used to contain the plume and prevent additional off-site migration of site-related contaminants. Treated ground water will be discharged to the City of Lexington's wastewater treatment system.
- Innovative technology evaluations (such as in-situ bioremediation, in-situ chemical oxidation, electrochemical techniques, and monitored natural attenuation) will be evaluated during the OU-2 Remedial Design. The objective of conducting these technology evaluations is to determine if one or more of these technologies, used in conjunction with the selected remedy, could result in shortening the overall remediation timeframe and/or provide a more cost-effective remediation.
Cleanup Progress
Based on the analytical results of soil samples collected beneath the former Plant #1 and Building #4 in 2009, additional soil excavation work was completed in December 2010 to remove soil with levels of mercury exceeding the OU1 remediation levels. Once the soil was transported off-site to an approved landfill, the excavated areas were backfilled with clean fill, landscaped, and seeded with grass. In March 2011, EPA and NCDENR made a Site Visit to view the areas where the soil excavation and restoration took place.
Enforcement Activities
1994, the potentially responsible party (PRP) signed an Administrative Order on Consent to conduct a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS).
In 2001, EPA issued a Unilateral Administrative Order (UAO) for the PRP to complete the OU-1 Remedial Design (RD) and Remedial Action (RA).
In 2002, EPA issued a UAO for the PRP to implement the selected OU-2 remedy. The PRP agreed to perform the RD/RA, and to pay past costs for EPA and State oversight during the OU-2 RD/RA.
Community Involvement
EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the Battery Tech site to solicit community input and to ensure that the public remains informed about site activities throughout the site cleanup process. Outreach activities have included public notices and interviews.
Future Work
The PRP is planning additional characterization of the soil and ground water in the former Plant #1 area and Building #4 area to be completed in 2009. Once the data has been collected, options for addressing the contamination will be evaluated.
Ground water monitoring will continue at the site until the ground water remediation levels established in the OU-2 ROD have been achieved.
Site Administrative Documents
Site Repository
For more information or to view any site-related documents, please visit the site information repository at the following location. As new documents are generated, they will be placed in the information repository for public information.
Davidson County Public Library
602 South Main Street
Lexington, NC 27292-3239
For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.