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Velsicol Chemical Corporation (Hardeman County)
National Information
Photos/Multimedia
View of ground water treatment facility for the Velsicol Chemical Corporation site, seen from across the Pine River.
- 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: TND980559033Location: Toone, Hardeman County, TN
Lat/Long: 35.381930, -088.926380
Congressional District: 07
NPL Status: Proposed: 12/30/82; Final: 09/08/83
Affected Media: Ground water, Soil, Solid Waste
Cleanup Status: Construction Complete - Physical cleanup activities have been completed.
Site Reuse/Redevelopment: Potential for Commercial/Light Industrial
Site Manager: John Nolen (nolen.john@epa.gov)
Site Background
The Velsicol Chemical Corporation site is located in the City of Toone, Hardeman County, Tennessee. The site consists of an approximately 27-acre landfill area situated on a 242-acre parcel of land owned by the Velsicol Chemical Corporation. From 1964 to 1973, the landfill was used for disposal of pesticides and volatile organic compound (VOC) wastes generated by the Velsicol plant in Memphis, Tennessee. Approximately 130,000 drums of plant waste were disposed of in the landfill and it is estimated that 3.7 million cubic yards of soil below the waste have been impacted.
Threats and Contaminants
Former disposal practices at the site have resulted in contamination of soil and ground water with base neutral acids, pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and VOCs. The ground water contamination plume is estimated to be 2.5 miles in size and site-related ground water contamination was found in private wells in 1979. Since that time, the City of Toone has provided an alternate water supply to residents within a 3-mile radius of the site.
Site Cleanup Plan
The cleanup plan for the Velsicol Chemical Corporation site covered two operable units (OUs): OU-1 (ground water) and OU-2 (source control).
The Record of Decision (ROD) for OU-1 was issued in 1991. Major components of the cleanup elements included:- Installation and maintenance of approximately five extraction wells along the northern boundary of the disposal areas. Wells should be used to develop a hydraulic gradient that will prevent ground water contamination above maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) from leaving the disposal area.
- Installation and maintenance of approximately 10 extraction wells into the off-site ground water contamination plume to control the ground water contaminant migration and remediate the ground water off site to MCLs.
- Construction and operation of a ground water treatment system for the removal of contaminants from the extracted ground water to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System requirements prior to the water being discharged to a nearby surface water body.
- Monitoring of ground water contaminant levels to verify that remediation goals are reached.
- Implementation of ground water use restrictions for the affected area and posting of appropriate hazardous waste disposal signs on and around the site. Maintenance of the disposal area including fences and soil cover.
- Identification and evaluation of possible additional remedial actions required for addressing the contamination of the entire site including the contaminant source and possible environmental/ecological concerns.
The ROD for OU-2 was issued in 1995. The remedy consists of capping the 27-acre landfill area with a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) composite cap to reduce infiltration of surface water through the waste and contaminated soil. Major components of the cap installation included:
- Removal of existing vegetative cover and re-compacting of the clay surface.
- Placement of a 40 millimeter high density polyethylene synthetic liner or equivalent over the re-compacted clay surface.
- Placement of a sand drainage blanket with a minimum hydraulic conductivity of 1 x 10-3 cm/sec over the liner to provide lateral drainage. The sand will be covered with a filter fabric and a layer of common fill and topsoil.
- Establishment of a vegetative cover to prevent erosion of the fill and topsoil materials.
- Routine monitoring of the RCRA cap in order to maintain the integrity of the cap.
Cleanup Progress
Installation of extraction wells and a ground water extraction and treatment system have been completed for OU-1 and upgrades to the surface cap have been completed for OU-2.
Remedy performance evaluations indicated that the ground water extraction and treatment system was not providing hydraulic containment of contaminated ground water. Contaminated ground water was found to still be leaching from the landfill and discharging to nearby surface water, and it was determined that the current remedy is insufficient to restore ground water to safe drinking water.
EPA is currently evaluating alternatives or options, with the objective of selecting a new ground water remedy, which meets to the maximum extent possible, the nine criteria identified in the National Contingency Plan for selecting a remedy. Among the nine criteria, the new remedy should provide adequate protection of human health and the environment.
In 2005 and 2007, indoor and ambient air sampling was conducted to investigate the potential for vapor intrusion in the residential area near the site. In May and October 2007, vapor mitigation systems were installed in the crawl spaces of two homes where concentrations of carbon tetrachloride exceeded EPA’s acceptable risk range. Beginning in January 2008, EPA initiated a 1-year indoor and ambient air sampling program to further characterize the ambient and indoor air issues across the site. Results of the air sampling program will be available in the fall of 2009.
In the summer of 2008, EPA initiated a soil vapor extraction (SVE) pilot study for the southwest disposal area at the site. The SVE system is scheduled to become operational in 2009 and operate as a pilot study for a minimum of one year. Information from the pilot study will be used to determine if full-scale SVE is suitable as a remedial option sitewide.
Site cleanup activities are being led primarily by potentially responsible parties with oversight by EPA.
Enforcement Activities
On November 5, 1985, the Tennessee Department of Health and the Environment issued a notice letter to Velsicol for performance of a remedial investigation and feasibility study at the site.
On February 17, 1989, EPA issued a Consent Order to Velsicol for performance of the remedial investigation and feasibility study for OU-1. This Order was amended on November 4, 1991 to include a feasibility study and workplan for OU-2.
EPA issued a Unilateral Administrative Order requiring Velsicol to conduct the remedial design and remedial actions for OU-1. The Order became effective on November 29, 1991.
Velsicol and its parent company, Fruit of the Loom, Inc., maintained responsibility for the site until August of 2002, when Fruit of the Loom, Inc., filed for bankruptcy. The company entered into an environmental Settlement Agreement in 2002, creating a Custodial Trust that has taken over management of site responsibilities. When funding in the Custodial Trust is fully spent, EPA and Tennessee Department of Environmental Control will assume management and financial responsibility for the site.
Community Involvement
EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the Velsicol Chemical Corporation 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, interviews, and public meetings on cleanup activities and updates.
Future Work
This site is subject to Five-Year Reviews (FYRs). The third FYR for this site is anticipated to be completed by September 2010.
Long-term monitoring of ground water, surface water, and fish at the site is 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.
Hardeman County Library
213 North Washington Street
Bolivar, TN 38008
For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.