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Rochester Property
National Information
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: SCD980840698Location: Travelers Rest, Greenville County, SC
Lat/Long: 34.971900, -082.501500
Congressional District: 04
NPL Status: Proposed: 06/10/86; Final: 10/04/89
Affected Media: Ground water
Cleanup Status: Deleted from the NPL - physical cleanup activities have been completed
Site Reuse/Redevelopment: Currently unused
Site Manager: Donna Seadler (seadler.donna@epa.gov)
Site Background
The Rochester Property site, located in a rural unzoned portion of Greenville County, South Carolina, consists of 4.5 acres. The site is approximately three miles west of the town of Travelers Rest. The site received wastes which were thought to include wood glue, print binders, powder materials, natural guar gums, adhesive for food packages and adhesive restick for envelopes. The waste materials were placed in four trenches sometime between late 1971 and early 1972. Each of the trenches was approximately 40 feet long, three feet wide and 10 feet deep.
Soil, ground water, and surface water samples taken by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control in 1984 showed organic compounds such as trichloroethene (TCE) in the various media (e.g,. ground water, soil). Waste samples also had flash points as low as 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The waste was subsequently removed from the site in 1990 by a potentially responsible party (PRP) under oversight by EPA.
Threats and Contaminants
Contaminants of concern identified for ground water in preparation for the Record of Decision (ROD) (see “Site Cleanup Plan”) consisted of TCE, bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, and manganese. The ground water was subsequently cleaned to levels that are sufficient for unrestricted use and unrestricted exposure.
Site Cleanup Plan
EPA issued a ROD, describing the cleanup approach for contaminated ground water at the site, in 1994. The cleanup approach called for the use of air sparging by pumping air through trenches and/or wells in the saturated zone of the aquifer. As the air (bubbles) made contact with the contaminants in the ground water, the contaminants, primarily trichloroethene (TCE), would be volatilized into the outside air through vent pipes.
Cleanup Progress
In 1990, approximately 1,500 cubic yards of contaminated soil and about eight drums were excavated and disposed at a hazardous waste landfill as part of the removal action. No further cleanup action for soils was necessary.
The air sparging system called for in the ROD was installed utilizing two trenches to distribute the air into the saturated zone of the aquifer. The system became operational in 1995. The system worked as designed and the two wells with the highest levels of TCE contamination reached cleanup goals. After a period of time, however, one of the deeper downgradient monitoring wells which had not previously had any contaminants began to show elevated levels of TCE.
As a result, the system was modified by installing wells and sparging with air and ozone instead of just air. This change to the cleanup approach was documented in an Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD) issued in 2002. By May 2005, cleanup goals had been achieved for all volatile organic contaminants. The cleanup goal for manganese had not been achieved.
The Second Five-Year Review (FYR) for the site, completed in early 2005, determined that manganese had a lower toxicity than previously calculated at the time the ROD was issued. As a result, in 2006 EPA issued a second ESD which removed manganese from the list of site contaminants requiring cleanup.
The final confirmation sampling event at the site was conducted in November 2006. All wells and performance monitoring points were sampled and found to be below the cleanup goals for the site.
Site cleanup activities were being led primarily by PRPs with oversight by EPA.
Enforcement Activities
In 1989, the main PRP entered into an Administrative Order by Consent with EPA to submit a waste removal workplan in 1989.
In 1992, the main PRP entered into an Administrative Order by Consent with EPA to perform the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study for site.
In 1994, EPA issued a Unilateral Administrative Order requiring the main PRP to conduct the Remedial Design and Remedial Action for the site.
Community Involvement
EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the Rochester Property 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 information meetings on cleanup progress and activities.
Future Work
The Rochester Property site was deleted from the National Priorities List on October 9, 2007. Because the cleanup was completed to levels which were sufficient for unrestricted use and unrestricted exposure, no further FYRs will be conducted.
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.
Travelers Rest Branch Library
17 Center Street
Travelers Rest, SC 29690
For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.