Rockwool Industries, Inc.

Site Description

The Rockwool Industries, Inc. site is located approximately one mile east of Belton, TX. The Site occupies approximately 100 acres of land zoned for heavy industrial use. Currently inactive, the Rockwool facility operated as a mineral wool insulation manufacturing plant from mid-1950 until February 1987. Rockwool manufactured two types of mineral wool insulation, blow wool and batt wool. Blow wool, which is generally spray-blown into attics and other enclosed spaces to provide thermal insulation, is composed of bulk mineral wool fibers lightly coated with lubricating oil. Batt wool is typically used for wall insulation and consists of mineral wool that is bound with an organic resin and sandwiched into paper. A waste by-product called "spent iron shot" was piled at the Site. Approximately 15,000 to 18,000 cubic yards were piled on the north side of the Site and another 20,000 to 30,000 cubic yards on the south side of the Site. An undetermined amount of spent shot waste adjoins the north side of the Site. Sediment from the Leon River is contaminated primarily with antimony.

Current Site Status and Cleanup Actions to Date

• In 1999, EPA studied the nature and extent of contamination.
• EPA used an innovative phased ecological risk assessment process to reduce the implementation time and cost of the cleanup remedy.
• In August 2004, EPA released its proposed cleanup plan for public comment.
• In September 2004, EPA issued the final cleanup plan (Record of Decision, or ROD), which included excavating (PDF) (530 K, 2 pp) contaminated soil and sediments and placing them in a secure container.
• In February 2005, EPA implemented the Site's cleanup plan.
• In September 2005, construction work was completed at the Site.

Current Funding Status

• In February 2005 EPA provided funding in the amount of $7,185,782 for implementation of the Remedial Action.
• In September 2002, EPA awarded a $50,000 Superfund Redevelopment Initiative grant to the City of Belton to transform the Site to beneficial use by attracting industrial/commercial entities to relocate to the Site.

For more information on the projects at this site, please read the Rockwool Industries, Inc. Fact Sheet (PDF) (242 K, 6 pp) on the Region 6 Superfund Web site.