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Northeast Chemical Company
National Information
Photos/Multimedia
Site photo goes here.
- 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: NCSFN0406973Location: Wilmington, New Hanover County, NC
Lat/Long: 34.22651, -077.949076
Congressional District: 07
NPL Status: Superfund Alternative Site
Affected Media: Ground water, Sediment, Soil
Cleanup Status: Construction Complete – Physical cleanup activities have been completed.
Site Reuse/Redevelopment: Potential for Commercial/light Industrial
Site Manager: Ken Mallary (mallary.ken@epa.gov)
Site Background
The Northeast Chemical site is located on the west bank of the Northeast Cape Fear River, in Wilmington, New Hanover County, North Carolina. From the early 1900s until the 1970s, the site was home to a phosphate fertilizer manufacturing facility. Site operations involved reacting phosphate ore with sulfuric acid to produce phosphoric acid, the building block of Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium (N-P-K) agricultural fertilizer. Sulfuric acid was also manufactured at the site and stored in insulated lead chambers.
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
Environmental impacts associated with phosphate fertilizer manufacturing at the site include elevated concentrations of metals, including lead and arsenic, in soil, sediment, and ground water, as well as low pH conditions.
Site Cleanup Plan
The cleanup plan for the site consisted of a non-time-critical Removal Action (NTCRA) to address soil, sediment and groundwater contamination. Chemical injections would be used to raise the pH of ground water and reduce the mobility of lead and arsenic into the groundwater. Groundwater monitoring will continue until removal action objectives for lead and arsenic have been achieved.
Cleanup Progress
The NTCRA was conducted in 2007 to address soil, sediment and groundwater contamination. Chemical injections were used to raise the pH of ground water and reduce the mobility of lead and arsenic into the water supply. Ground water monitoring will continue until removal action objectives for lead and arsenic have been achieved.
Enforcement Activities
On April 15, 2002, the potentially responsible parties (PRPs) voluntarily signed an Administrative Order with EPA, in which they agreed to conduct an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis at the site. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the nature and extent of contamination at the site, and determine the potential risks to public health and the environment caused by the release or threatened release of contamination from the site.
Community Involvement
EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the Northeast Chemical Company site to solicit community input and to ensure that the public remains informed about site activities throughout the site cleanup process.
Future Work
Ground water monitoring activities at the site 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.
New Hanover County Public Library
201 Chestnut Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.