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Swift Agri-Chem
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: SCD058181991Location: Charleston, Charleston County, SC
Lat/Long: 32.84098, -79.972115
Congressional District: 06
NPL Status: Superfund Alternative Approach
Affected Media: Ground water, Soil, Sediment
Cleanup Status: An Action Memorandum authorizing use of a Non-Time-Critical Removal Action has been approved
Site Reuse/Redevelopment: Currently unused
Site Manager: Ken Mallary (mallary.ken@epa.gov)
Site Background
The Swift Agri-Chem site is approximately 43.6 acres and is located on the Ashley River in Charleston, South Carolina. The site was used for phosphate fertilizer manufacturing from 1891 to 1975. Phosphate-based fertilizer manufacturing at the site involved reacting phosphate ores with sulfuric acid to produce phosphoric acid, the building block of Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium agricultural fertilizer. Sulfuric acid was made at the site and stored in lead-insulated chambers.
Threats and Contaminants
Environmental impacts associated with phosphate fertilizer manufacturing at the site include elevated levels of metals, including lead and arsenic, in soil, sediment, and ground water, as well as acidic pH conditions.
Site Cleanup Plan
In 2004, an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) was completed. The purpose of the EE/CA was to evaluate the nature and extent of site-related contamination, and the potential risks to public health and the environment caused by the release or threatened release of hazardous substances from the site. In addition, alternatives or options for addressing the contamination at the site were developed and evaluated during the EE/CA.
Cleanup Progress
After the EE/CA was completed, EPA signed an Action Memorandum which authorizes the use of a Non-Time-Critical Removal Action (NTCRA) at the site, and provides a description of the preferred alternatives selected to address the site-related contamination. The design for the NTCRA was completed in the summer 2008. The estimated cost of the NTCRA is $6,586,000.
The NTCRA was scheduled to begin in 2009; however, the exact schedule for conducting the NTCRA has not been developed since plans to redevelop the site have been put on hold.
Site cleanup activities are being led primarily by potentially responsible parties with oversight by EPA.Enforcement Activities
In 2000, EPA and ExxonMobil Corporation entered into a voluntary Administrative Order on Consent in which ExxonMobil agreed to conduct the EE/CA for the site.
Community Involvement
EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the Swift Agri-Chem 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
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.
Charleston County Public Library
68 Calhoun Street
Charleston, SC 29401
For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.