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EPA TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING REGARDING THE PROPOSED PLAN FOR THE ARKWRIGHT DUMP SITE IN SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA

Release Date: 07/22/2002
Contact Information: CarlTerry (404) 562-8325

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, August 6, 2002, regarding the Proposed Plan for cleanup at the Arkwright Dump site in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The meeting will be held from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Community Baptist Church, Fuller Road and Hilltop Lane. EPA representatives will discuss the results of the Remedial Investigation (RI) and Feasibility Study (FS) and describe the proposed cleanup plan. The Proposed Plan considers the following alternatives for addressing contamination at the site: Alternative 1: No Action Alternative 2: Institutional Controls Alternative 3: Capping and Institutional Controls Alternative 4: Capping and Monitored Natural Attenuation Alternative 5: Capping (Soil) and Groundwater Pump & Treat Alternative 5A: Capping and Groundwater Pump & Treat Alternative 6: Capping and Enhanced Bioremediation EPA is recommending Alternative 6, Capping and Enhanced Bioremediation, as the Preferred Alternative for site cleanup because it achieves greater long-term effectiveness and permanence than the other alternatives, and is more cost-effective than the other alternatives. The capping portion of this alternative blocks exposure to contaminated soil, and contaminated groundwater is addressed through Enhanced Bioremediation treatment. Prior to selection of the cleanup plan, EPA will consider oral and written comments from the public and provide responses to the comments. The Public Comment Period begins on July 23, 2002 and ends on August 21, 2002. EPA encourages interested citizens to review the Proposed Plan and other materials in the information repository at the Spartanburg County Main Library, 151 Church Street in Spartanburg. The Administrative Record contains documents supporting EPA's proposed plan and the repository has other documents concerning the site and general Superfund information. Also, all interested persons are urged to attend the public meeting on August 6, 2002 to provide input to EPA. Based on public comment, EPA in consultation with the South Carolina Department Health and Environmental Control may later modify the Preferred Alternative, or select a different alternative from among those presented in the proposed plan. Written comments on the Proposed Plan and Preferred Alternative should be postmarked no later than August 21, 2002 and mailed to the U.S. EPA, Region 4, Ralph O. Howard, Jr., Remedial Project Manager, 4WD - NSMB, 61 Forsyth Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30303. The Arkwright Dump Site is located at the north end of Hilltop Lane in the Arkwright community, immediately south of Spartanburg. The 30-acre property was operated as a landfill during the 1950s and 1960s by the City of Spartanburg. The landfill accepted primarily municipal wastes; however available information indicates that medical, automotive, and other wastes were also placed in the landfill. In 1972, the dump was closed, and in 1976 it was sold to a private citizen. The RI found a variety of hazardous substances in surface soils onsite, reflecting the lack of any significant cover on the landfill. Groundwater contamination is present beneath the eastern half of the site, and is moving offsite toward the east.