Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Nevamar Company LLC (Formerly: International Paper) in Waverly, Virginia
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Site Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Land Reuse
- Site Responsibility
In January 2000, International Paper-Masonite Facility in Waverly, Virginia, entered into a Facility Lead Agreement with EPA to investigate any Facility contaminant releases.
Cleanup Status
International Paper (IP) submitted an investigative work plan to EPA in May 2000. EPA approved the work plan in June 2000. In 2001, IP completed (1) surface and groundwater sampling; (2) groundwater monitoring; and (3) well installation to delineate site-related contamination. A former underground storage tank (UST) was found to be the primary source of contamination. The former 50,000 gallon capacity UST was removed prior to environmental investigations. Fuel oil #2 had leaked from the UST, locally contaminating soil and groundwater on-site.
In November 2002, IP submitted an Investigation Report and Proposed Corrective Measures to EPA. IP proposed to continue hand bailing as the final remedy. EPA and VADEQ approved the Corrective Measures and Investigation Reports. The clean-up goal is to reach product thickness of 0.1 inch or less (sheen), or to the limits of recoverability, sustained over a year.
Since October 2002, about 921 gallons of product were recovered. Product recovery consisted of weekly hand bailing product from the wells. However, in October 2009, IP upgraded the recovery effort and installed more recovery wells and a product skimmer in one well. As a result, 450 gallons of product was recovered at the end of one year. This represents 66.5% of the total recovery to date. EPA expects completion of remediation within a year or two, with an additional year of groundwater monitoring to confirm completion.
Site Description
Interaxtive Map of the Nevamar Company LLC (Formerly: International Paper), Waverly, VA
The International Paper, Masonite Corporation Waverly plant manufactured different grades of particle board. IP purchased scrap wood and sawdust as a raw material for the production of pressed flake board. Scrap wood was screened to remove impurities, then ground to a fine powder and dried. The wood powder was bonded together with urea formaldehyde resin to form particle board. The powder was also used at the Facility boiler plant as the principal fuel source for the Facility. Previous vinyl laminating processes used xylenes and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) as solvents. An aeration/settling basin was used to reduce suspended solids and BOD under a pre-treatment permit, and the wastewater was discharged to a regional sewage treatment plant. Three former underground storage tank farms were removed under the supervision of Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ). The USTs were used for the storage of diesel, gasoline, xylenes and MEK.
In 1966, IP purchased the plant from Gray Products Company. In July 2002, IP sold the facility to Nevamar Company, LLC. The Facility closed in 2003. In January 2005, Nevamar sold the Facility to Waverly Particle Board Company, LLC. In 2009, the Facility ceased operations and in 2010 went into bankruptcy. The property is currently owned by Wood Fuel Developers, LLC. IP continues to conduct Corrective Action at the site with on-going groundwater remediation and monitoring.
Contaminants at this Facility
The primary contaminants are: xylenes, MEK and fuel oil constituents (BTEX and PAHs). Floating oil and the dissolved phase petroleum product were found in groundwater collected from wells located in and around the former UST excavation. Pursuant to Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Subtitle I regulations, EPA required IP to recover product from the wells on a periodic basis.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
The need to Institutional Controls is yet to be determined.
Land Reuse Information at this Facility
The facility is under continued use.
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 VDEQ.