Contaminated-Soil Staging Pile Removed. Cleanup Updates Set for Nov. 12 Public Meeting.
NAVASSA, N.C.–November 5, 2026–A public meeting will be held Thursday, November 12 at 5:30 p.m. to update the community on the completed removal of a contaminated-soil staging pile from 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 upcoming Operable Unit 3 remedial action, Operable Unit 4 investigations and work, and local contracting opportunities at the Site.
WHEN: Thursday, November 12, 2026
WHERE: Navassa Community Center, 338 Main Street, Navassa
COMMUNITY MEETING: 5:30–6:30 p.m. Held in-person and on Zoom.
· Zoom: Use this Zoom link or enter tinyurl.com/Navassameetings into a browser.
· Phone: (301) 715-8592. Meeting ID 946 584 8922. Passcode 664564.
DROP-IN SESSION: 6:30–7:30 p.m. In-person only.
KEY SUBJECTS INCLUDE:
· Completed Removal of TB Parcels Staging Pile: Contaminated OU2 soil that had been placed in a lined, temporary staging pile in OU4 because of the soil’s potential to impact groundwater was recently removed and disposed of at an EPA-approved landfill. Additionally, OU2 soil posing no risk of leaching to groundwater was transferred from the staging pile to the on-site Former Fire Protection Pond disposal unit. Learn more in the TB Parcels Staging Pile Remedial Action Work Plan linked here.
· Upcoming OU3 Record of Decision (ROD) and Remedial Action: Contractor procurement is currently underway for the OU3 remedial action, which is planned to include excavation, backfilling, and thin layer capping in some areas. Construction activities are anticipated to begin in fall 2026 after EPA issues the OU3 ROD, and extend through winter 2027. OU3 encompasses the 32-acre Southern Marsh.
· Future OU4 North Cleanup Work: EPA’s selected remedy for the 12-acre northern portion of OU4 (34-acre former pond and process area) involves removing contaminated surface soil and developing controls to manage contamination risks. Learn more in the EPA-issued Record of Decision for OU4 North linked here.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
November 12, 2026 Community Meeting flyer
July 28, 2026 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
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 in Navassa 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.
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 Navassa. 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 initiated the bankruptcy proceeding.
The Multistate Trust works with its beneficiaries—EPA and NCDEQ—on Site investigation, remediation, and reuse planning. The Trustee of the Multistate Trust is Greenfield Environmental Multistate Trust LLC.