Greenwood Chemical Co. operated as a chemical manufacturer in Albemarle County, Virginia from the 1940s until 1985, when a toluene vapor explosion and fire killed four workers and ended production. The site was added to the EPA's Superfund National Priorities List in 1987. Contamination spread through leaking drums and seven uncontrolled wastewater lagoons, affecting soil, groundwater, and soil gas across four designated cleanup areas called operable units.
Contaminants of concern include volatile organic compounds such as benzene, trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, vinyl chloride, toluene, and carbon tetrachloride. Semi-volatile compounds including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and naphthalene, inorganic contaminants such as arsenic and cyanide, and other chemicals like dichloromethane and acetone have also been identified in soil and groundwater.
Cleanup actions began with emergency removal work in 1987 and 1988. Workers removed more than 600 leaking and deteriorated drums, excavated roughly 15,000 tons of contaminated soil, and shipped it to a hazardous waste incinerator in Utah. Several buildings were demolished. A pump-and-treat system started in 2001 to address contaminated groundwater, discharging treated water to a tributary of West Creek. Physical construction was completed in September 2005. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality took over operation and maintenance in 2012. Land-use restrictions filed in Albemarle County records in September 2013 prohibit residential use, on-site groundwater drinking, and unauthorized soil removal, among other limitations. Residential well sampling since the late 1980s has shown no elevated site-related contaminants.
The site currently has no known exposure pathways of site-related contaminants to the public. The contaminated groundwater plume is contained, and the pump-and-treat system is working as intended. The site achieved Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use status in January 2014. The most recent Five-Year Review, completed in August 2023, confirmed the remedy continues to protect public health and the environment. The EPA and its contractors are also preparing to sample for emerging contaminants, including PFAS and 1,4-dioxane, with that work anticipated to be completed by 2026. The next Five-Year Review is estimated between August and October 2028.
Community members can contact EPA Remedial Project Manager Eric Newman or Community Involvement Coordinator John Brakeall using the information below. Site documents are available online or in person at the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library Crozet Branch in Crozet, Virginia, or at the EPA Region III office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Appointments are recommended for in-person visits.
