The Island Chemical Corp./Virgin Islands Chemical Corp. site is a 3.5-acre former industrial property in south-central St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Various chemical manufacturers once used it to make pharmaceutical chemicals such as phenacetin and ethoxyquin, as well as perfume and flavoring ingredients like benzyl acetate and benzyl salicylate. The site has been deleted from the National Priorities List (NPL), EPA's roster of the most serious hazardous waste sites in the country, meaning cleanup goals have been fully met.
EPA found serious contamination at the site in 1989, including hundreds of deteriorated drums, leaking cylinders of chlorine and hydrogen chloride, and more than 8,000 pounds of laboratory chemicals such as sodium metal and potassium cyanide. EPA quickly removed those materials, demolished the facility's buildings, and fenced the property. A remedial investigation and feasibility study ran from September 1994 through August 2002. EPA then selected a cleanup plan that used soil vapor extraction (SVE) and air sparging to treat soil and groundwater near the aboveground storage tank area, and monitored natural attenuation (MNA) for the former process pit area. SVE pulls contaminated vapors out of the soil, air sparging injects air into the ground to help break down contaminants, and MNA lets naturally occurring processes reduce contamination over time. Construction of those systems was complete by March 2004, and long-term monitoring ran through May 2009.
EPA identified eleven contaminants of concern across soil and groundwater. Soil contaminants include arsenic, chromium, ethylbenzene, and mixed xylene isomers. Groundwater contaminants include arsenic, chloroform, dichloromethane (also called methylene chloride), ethylbenzene, iron, manganese, and mixed xylene isomers. Arsenic and ethylbenzene were found in both media.
Human exposure is under control, and contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. A five-year review completed in March 2009 confirmed the site was ready for its anticipated future use. EPA deleted the site from the NPL on October 16, 2009. The property was sold in March 2020 to a St. Croix construction company and returned to active economic use.
Community members with questions can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager directly using the contact information below. Documents related to the site, including the 1989 Removal Action Record and the 2002 Record of Decision, are publicly available through EPA's Superfund database.
