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Carolina Transformer Company
National Information
Photos/Multimedia
Soil excavation and regrading at the Carolina Transformer 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: NCD003188844Location: Fayetteville, Cumberland County, NC
Lat/Long: 35.063330, -078.845000
Congressional District: 07
NPL Status: Proposed: 01/22/87; Final: 07/22/87
Affected Media: Debris, Ground water, Sediment, Soil
Cleanup Status: Construction Complete - Physical cleanup activities have been completed.
Site Reuse/Redevelopment: Potential for commercial/light industrial
Site Manager: Luis Flores (flores.luis@epa.gov)
Site Background
The 5-acre Carolina Transformer site is located in Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina. From 1967 to 1982, the Carolina Transformer Company (CTC) operated an electrical transformer rebuilding and repair facility at the site. During that period CTC also operated as a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) storage and disposal site for owners of PCB transformers and/or PCB articles. Improper storage, management, and disposal practices led to soil and ground water contamination with PCBs.
Threats and Contaminants
In addition to PCB-contamination of soil and ground water, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were also detected in ground water. The site is situated at the headwater of an unnamed tributary less than two miles from the Cape Fear River. An estimated 3,000 people reside within a 3-mile radius of the site.
Site Cleanup Plan
The Record of Decision (ROD) for the site was issued in 1991. Major cleanup elements for the site included:
- Excavation of the contaminated soil with PCBs in excess of one part per million (ppm).
- Use of a solvent extraction process to separate organic contaminants such as PCB, dioxin/furans, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from the soil and sediments. The process will convert inorganic contaminants such as lead and copper to lower solubility hydroxides thereby reducing their mobility.
- Demolition of the roofs and walls of the three on-site buildings. The debris will be crushed and transported to an off-site landfill along with any solid waste. If the remaining slabs are found to be contaminated with PCBs in excess of 10 ug/100 cm2 they will be treated with a solvent washing system to extract the residual PCBs.
- Installation of ground water extractions wells, and use of a two component treatment system (metals removal, adsorption) to remove the metals and organic contaminants. The operation of the system would continue until the ground water meets the remediation goals.
Cleanup Progress
In 1984, EPA removed 975 tons of contaminated soil, transported it to a federally approved facility, and then fenced the area. Residents with contaminated ground water were connected to the public water supply.
A remedial design including a solvent extraction system to treat PCB-contaminated soil and a pump-and-treat system to treat contaminated ground water was completed in 1996. Remedial activities began in 1999 and all soil cleanup activities were completed in September 2003.
In August 2005, an amendment to the 1991 ROD was signed to change the ground water remedy to monitored natural attenuation, or the use of natural processes to reduce contamination.
Site cleanup activities are being led primarily by EPA.
Enforcement Activities
In 1984, EPA issued a Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Section 106 Administrative Order requiring Carolina Transformer to remove and properly dispose of the contaminated soil. After the company refused, EPA began to clean up the site in August 1984 using CERCLA emergency funds.
Community Involvement
EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the Carolina Transformer 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 public meetings on cleanup activities and updates.
Future Work
Annual ground water monitoring events are ongoing.
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.
Cumberland County Public Library
300 Maiden Lane
Fayetteville, NC 28301
For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.