News Releases from Region 04
EPA, N.C. DEQ and Multistate Trust to Hold Public Availability Session and Public Meeting about Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp Site in Navassa, N.C., on April 10
ATLANTA (March 27, 2018) – Federal and state officials together with Multistate Trust representatives will hold a public availability session and public meeting about the Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp – Navassa Superfund Site on Tuesday, April 10, 2018. Topics will include the remedial investigation; an upcoming feasibility study of possible remediation options; and the Redevelopment Planning Initiative for the site.
What:
Public Availability Session and Public Meeting for the Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp – Navassa Superfund Site
When:
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Where:
Navassa Community Center, 338 Main Street, Navassa, N.C.
Who:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4
N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (N.C. DEQ)
Multistate Environmental Response Trust (Multistate Trust)
Public Availability Session – 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Residents will have an opportunity to talk one-on-one with experts about the site. Representatives of EPA, N.C. DEQ, and Multistate Trust will be available to answer questions and share information.
Public Meeting – 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Representatives of EPA, N.C. DEQ, and Multistate Trust will present updates on the site and answer questions.
Site Background
From 1936 to 1974, Kerr-McGee and other companies used the 245-acre site for creosote-based wood treating. By 1980, Kerr-McGee dismantled the wood-treatment buildings and facilities. In 2005, the site was conveyed to Tronox, a Kerr-McGee spinoff that filed for bankruptcy protection in 2009. In 2011, the Multistate Trust acquired the site as a court-appointed trustee as part of the Tronox bankruptcy settlement. The Multistate Trust is working with its beneficiaries—EPA and N.C. DEQ—on the site investigation, remediation and redevelopment planning.
The site is bounded by the Brunswick River, Sturgeon Creek, a residential area, and a light industrial area. The soil, sediment and groundwater are contaminated by creosote-related chemicals. Site contamination does not currently threaten people living and working near the site.
What is the remedial investigation (RI)?
The RI is a study designed to collect the data necessary to: (1) determine the nature and extent of contamination on and off the site; (2) characterize site conditions; and (3) assess risk to human health and the environment.
What is the feasibility study (FS)?
The FS is designed to identify and evaluate potential remedies to address contamination at the site, and to assess possible technologies and alternatives for their effectiveness in protecting human health and the environment.
What is the Redevelopment Planning Initiative (RPI)?
The RPI is the Multistate Trust-led effort to work with citizens, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify community-supported plans for potential site reuses that protect human health and the environment and are environmentally and economically sustainable. A community visioning workshop was held Feb. 23–24, 2018, to provide a forum for citizens to help shape the future of the site. Residents, local leaders, and other stakeholders worked in small groups to identify possible redevelopment options for the site. These will be discussed during the public meeting and shown during the public availability session.
Under Administrator Pruitt’s leadership, the Superfund program has reemerged as a top priority to advance the Agency’s core mission of protecting human health and the environment. The Administrator established the Superfund Task Force to provide recommendations for improving and expediting site cleanups and promoting redevelopment. The work being conducted at the site reflects EPA’s commitment to protect human health and the environment while promoting the revitalization of properties across the country.
For more information, visit the EPA website: www.epa.gov/superfund/kerr-mcgee-chemical-corp
The Multistate Trust website: http://multi-trust.org/navassa-north-carolina
Connect with EPA Region 4 on Facebook: www.facebook.com/eparegion4
And on Twitter: @EPASoutheast
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