Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Martinsville DuPont Site in Martinsville, Virginia
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Site Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Land Reuse
- Site Responsibility
In February 1986, Virginia's Department of Waste Management, which subsequently changed its name to Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), issued a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) permit, Permit for hazardous waste storage. The Corrective Action Permit requires DuPont, among other things, to investigate Solid Waste Mangement Units (SWMUs) at the Facility, prepare a Comprehensive RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI) Report and prepare a Corrective Measures Study (CMS).
Cleanup Status
EPA issued the Corrective Action Final Decision and Response to Comment (FDRTC) on November 16, 2012, for the Martinsville site. The FDRTC incorporates the remedy detailed in the Statement of Basis, which restricts the Facility to industrial use through compliance with and maintenance of institutional controls, restriction on groundwater use, continued maintenance of existing soil capping over ash piles, and recovery of trichloroethylene (TCE) from groundwater. Virginia DEQ will be issuing a Corrective Action Permit in 2013 to implement the selected remedy.
Site Description
Interactive Map of Martinsville DuPont Site, Martinsville, VA
Located on DuPont Road in Henry County, Martinsville, Virginia, the DuPont facility has been part of this Piedmont region community since the early 1940s. The site is situated within a stream meander of the Smith River, and covers approximately 550 acres. There are over 200 feet of topographic relief across the site.
Various types of waste have been generated and managed at the DuPont facility including nylon wastes, coal ash, spent finish oil, spent nitric and formic acids, and laboratory chemicals.
The site operated between 1941 and 1988, and was one of the world's largest nylon manufacturers. Currently, only the InvistaTM 60-person spinerette production operation is active. All former nylon manufacturing buildings have been razed.
Contaminants at this Facility
Volatile organic compounds are the main constituents detected in groundwater at the site. These compounds primarily consist of solvents including carbon tetrachloride, tetrachloroethene and trichlorethene.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
Institutional Controls include:
- Groundwater at the Facility shall not be used for any purpose other than industrial purposes.
- The Facility property shall not be used for residential purposes
- No new groundwater wells shall be installed at the Facility
- All earth moving activities, including excavation, drilling and construction activities, in the SWMUs and AOCs listed shall be conducted according to the Materials Management Plan.
Land Reuse Information at this Facility
The facility is under continued use and there are reuse parcels at the site.
Site Responsiblity at this Facility
RCRA Corrective Action activities at this facility are being conducted under the direction of the EPA Region 3 with assistance from the Virginia DEQ.