Cleanup of Contaminated Soil and Debris in OU2 Completed at Navassa Kerr-McGee Site. Community Meeting Set for March 12, 2026 to Discuss Site Progress.

NAVASSA, N.C. (March 4, 2026) – A community meeting will be held Thursday, March 12, 2026 to update the community on the cleanup of contaminated soil and debris completed in February in the Operable Unit 2 (OU2) area of the Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp – Navassa Superfund Site (Site).

The meeting, hosted by the Multistate Environmental Response Trust (Multistate Trust) in coordination with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ), will also cover the OU4 North cleanup plan, the OU3 Feasibility Study, and other topics. 

WHEN: Thursday, March 12, 2026

WHERE: Navassa Community Center, 338 Main Street, Navassa

COMMUNITY MEETING: 5:30–6:30 p.m. In-person and on Zoom.

DROP-IN SESSION: 6:30–7:30 p.m. In-person only.

MEETING TOPICS INCLUDE:

  • Operable Unit 2 (OU2) Cleanup: Contaminated surface soil and debris were removed in 2024 during the initial remediation phase, but additional, unexpected debris extended beyond the original planned excavation areas. Workers returned in November 2025 to excavate additional soil and debris, completing the work in early February 2026. Learn more about the OU2 (the former treated and untreated wood storage area) cleanup in the fact sheet linked here.

  • Operable Unit 4 (OU4) North Cleanup Plan: EPA’s proposed cleanup plan for the northern portion of OU4 (the former pond and process area) would involve removing contaminated surface soil and developing controls to manage contamination risks. Learn more about the proposed cleanup of OU4 North in the fact sheet linked here.

  • Operable Unit 3 (OU3): The Feasibility Study of OU3 (Southern Marsh) is evaluating remediation technologies to mitigate contamination risks to animals and plants while protecting the marsh.

  • OU4 Biosparging Pilot Study: Launched in fall 2025, the ongoing study is evaluating whether injecting oxygen into the aquifer would effectively remediate contamination in subsurface soils and groundwater.

  • Moze Center and Conservation Easement: The Multistate Trust will provide updates on the Moze Center land donation and the draft Conservation Easement currently under review by the Navassa Town Council and Mayor. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION

March 26, 2026 Community Meeting and Drop-in Session flyer

November 18, 2025 Community Meeting presentation

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

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

The NCDEQ website https://deq.nc.gov

SITE BACKGROUND

From 1936 to 1974, Kerr-McGee and its predecessors used creosote and other chemicals to treat wood for railroad ties, utility poles, and pilings. The wood treating facility operated on approximately 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. 

In 2011, the Multistate Trust was created as part of the Tronox bankruptcy settlement to own, manage, and remediate the Site and facilitate its safe, beneficial reuse. A private, independent trust, the Multistate Trust assumed ownership of ±152 acres of the ±246 acres formerly owned by Kerr-McGee. In 2016, the Multistate Trust purchased two more acres.

The Multistate Trust’s cleanup funds were provided entirely by Tronox through the Tronox bankruptcy settlement, not by public or taxpayer dollars. The Tronox funding includes amounts paid by certain Kerr-McGee-affiliated entities and Anadarko Petroleum Corporation to settle a fraudulent conveyance lawsuit filed after Tronox’s bankruptcy.

The Multistate Trust works with its beneficiaries—EPA and NCDEQ—on investigation, remediation, and reuse planning of the Site. The Trustee of the Multistate Trust is Greenfield Environmental Multistate Trust LLC.

Christine Amrhine