Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Royston Corporation in Raphine, Virginia
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Site Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Land Reuse
- Site Responsibility
Bill Neff Enterprises (current site owner) entered into a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Facility Lead Agreement with EPA Region III on July 6, 2006. As part of that Agreement, a RCRA Corrective Action Assessment Work Plan was developed by MeadWestvaco to conduct investigations at the site. The Work Plan was approved by EPA and the investigations of the 39 Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs) were conducted in December 2006. Results of the investigation revealed the presence of low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and inorganic compounds in soil and/or groundwater. With the exception of arsenic in the soils at one SWMU, the detected concentrations did not exceed the USEPA Region III risk-based concentrations. Arsenic was not detected in groundwater above laboratory detection limits.
Cleanup Status
- On October 2, 2007 EPA Region III issued its Final Decision to the Former Royston Facility (Lofton and AWH Manufacturing) which stated that the corrective action process was complete for the facility under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) and the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984 (HSWA). This decision was made after no comments were received during the forty-five (45) public comment period which ended on September 24, 2007.
Cleanup History
In 1998 the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) prepared a Site Inspection and Site Assessment for NCAPS Site Assessment Report. This report identified 42 solid waste management units (SWMUs) at the site. Information from a letter dated July 9, 1998 from VDEQ to AWH Corporation regarding Lofton Corporation, Greenville, Virginia, indicated that three of the SWMUs have been closed and were issued No Further Action (NFA) determinations by VDEQ. On September 7, 2006 an onsite meeting and a site visit was conducted by EPA, its consultant and VDEQ. This meeting focused on gathering factual information on the remaining 39 SWMUs. The information was documented in a report dated March 19, 2007.
At the request of EPA, MeadWestvaco collected additional soil samples in May 2007 to further evaluate the presence of arsenic around the paint shop and paint kitchen building. Arsenic was detected in soils, at the site, at one SWMU, at concentrations up to 45 mg/kg. Additionally, the concentrations are greater than the USEPA Region III Risk-Based Concentrations (RBCs) for residential soil (0.43 mg/kg) and industrial soil (1.9 mg/kg) (USEPA, 2006). The Region III RBCs for arsenic in soil are based on the potentially carcinogenic effects of arsenic at a one in a million (10-6) risk level. However, the concentrations of arsenic detected in most samples were within or close to background levels. To fully evaluate potential risks from arsenic, a human health risk assessment (HHRA) was conducted
EPA's Toxicologist determined that the results of this HHRA indicate that concentrations of arsenic in soil at the site do not pose potentially unacceptable risks to a future on-site worker, future construction worker, or a hypothetical future on-site resident. Therefore, no further evaluation or action was warranted for arsenic at the Former Royston Manufacturing Facility.
Site Description
Interactive Map of Royston Corporation, Raphine, VA
View larger mapThe former Royston facility consists of a 215,000 square-foot former metal fabricating and manufacturing facility and associated wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) located on approximately 149 acres in Lofton, Virginia. Lofton Corporation purchased the property in 1982. The facility was operated by Lofton Corporation between 1985 and 2000. Lofton Corporation produced various metal products including shipboard furniture, walls, ceilings, and doors as wells as custom sheet metal products for various industrial purposes. Lofton Corporation was a large quantity hazardous waste generator.
The site was mostly unoccupied and occasionally used for miscellaneous warehousing purposes between 2000 and 2004. The site was purchased by the current owner, Bill Neff Enterprises, in 2004. MeadWestvaco currently leases the facility from Bill Neff Enterprises to store paper products. MeadWestvaco intends to have the property developed as a distribution center by adding additional warehousing space in currently undeveloped portions of the property
Contaminants at this Facility
The facility had low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and inorganic compounds (including arsenic) in soil and/or groundwater.EPA determined that concentrations of arsenic in soil at the site do not pose potentially unacceptable risks to a future on-site worker
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
No Institutional Controls are needed.
Land Reuse Information at this Facility
The site is being reused.
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 VA DEQ.