Cleanup of Contaminated Soil in OU2 Has Begun at Navassa Kerr-McGee Superfund Site

NAVASSA, N.C. (March 6, 2024) – The cleanup of contaminated surface soil at Operable Unit 2 (OU2) of the Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp – Navassa Superfund Site (Site) started on Monday, March 4. The cleanup could take four months to complete and is expected to make OU2 (the former treated and untreated wood storage area) suitable for any future use.

The Multistate Environmental Response Trust (Multistate Trust), together with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ), will host a community meeting Tuesday, March 12 to provide an update about the soil cleanup and discuss other topics, including the Moze land donation and the sale of 87 acres owned by the Multistate Trust. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) representatives will join the meeting to share updates about ongoing restoration projects.

The OU2 cleanup will involve excavation of soils with contamination at levels that are higher than residential or ecological cleanup levels. Excavated soils will be stored on the adjoining OU4 area of the Site in temporary stockpiles to be maintained and inspected regularly and expected to be consolidated into the future OU4 cleanup. Material that cannot be stored on-site will be recycled or disposed off-site in accordance with state and federal laws. Air monitoring, traffic control and other measures will be taken to protect the health and safety of residents and workers and to minimize disturbing communities. Air monitoring, traffic control, erosion control, and other plans will be available on the Multistate Trust website here.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

  • Community Meeting: 6 – 7 p.m. in-person and virtual

  • Drop-in Session: 7 – 8 p.m. in-person only

Location: Navassa Community Center, 338 Main Street, Navassa

Join the meeting by Zoom or phone

For More Information

March 12, 2024 Community Meeting and Drop-in Session flyer

December 7, 2023 Community Meeting presentation

Multistate Trust website https://navassa.greenfieldenvironmental.com

EPA website www.epa.gov/superfund/kerr-mcgee-chemical-corp

NCDEQ website https://deq.nc.gov

Operable Unit 2 Work

OU2 consists of former treated and untreated wood storage areas used when Kerr-McGee and its predecessors treated wood with creosote at the Site. 

Two local firms were approved to complete the OU2 work, after a robust search and bid process undertaken by the Multistate Trust as part of its effort to invest cleanup funds in the local economy wherever possible. Together, the local companies will be responsible for grubbing and clearing, logging, excavation, hauling, and Site security, among other tasks. 

The OU2 work is being performed by the Multistate Trust, under the oversight of EPA and in consultation with NCDEQ. Following the cleanup, OU2 will be suitable for any future land use, with no long-term monitoring required. EPA will propose deleting OU2 from the National Priorities List of federal Superfund sites. Read the OU2 Remedial Action Fact Sheet here.

Site Background

From 1936 to 1974, Kerr-McGee and its predecessors used creosote to treat wood for railroad ties, utility poles, and pilings. The wood treating facility operated on ±70 acres along the Brunswick River at Sturgeon Creek. In 1980, Kerr-McGee decommissioned and dismantled the facility and wood-treatment buildings.

In 2010, groundwater, soil, and sediment contamination by creosote-related chemicals led EPA to add the former Kerr-McGee property to the National Priorities List. Site contamination does not currently threaten people living or working near the Site. 

The Multistate Trust is a private, independent trust created in 2011 as part of the Tronox bankruptcy settlement to own, manage, and remediate the Site and facilitate its safe, beneficial reuse. In 2011, the Multistate Trust acquired ±152 acres of the ±246-acre former Kerr-McGee property. In 2016, the Multistate Trust purchased an additional two acres. The Trustee of the Multistate Trust is Greenfield Environmental Multistate Trust LLC.

The Multistate Trust works with its beneficiaries—EPA and NCDEQ—on investigation, remediation and reuse planning of the ±100-acre Superfund Site. In 2022, EPA signed the OU2 Record of Decision selecting removal, on-site reuse/consolidation and off-site disposal as the OU2 remedy. In 2021, EPA issued the OU1 Record of Decision selecting no action as the remedy for the ±20-acre OU1. OU1’s subsequent deletion from the National Priorities List cleared the way for OU1’s future return to productive reuse.

Christine Amrhine