The Arrowhead Associates/Scovill Corp. site sits about two miles southeast of Montross, Virginia. The 30-acre property was used for cosmetic case manufacturing from 1966 to 1979. Improper waste handling left the soil and groundwater contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a group of chemicals that evaporate easily and can pose health risks. EPA added the site to the Superfund program's National Priorities List (NPL) in February 1990. The site is also known as Arrowhead Plating.
Contaminants found at the site include a long list of VOCs such as trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, vinyl chloride, benzene, toluene, and carbon tetrachloride. Semi-volatile organic compounds, metals including lead, cadmium, chromium, and mercury, and other chemicals like 1,4-dioxane and cyanide have also been detected. These contaminants appear across soil, groundwater, surface water, sediment, and air.
Cleanup has moved through several phases. The responsible party removed contaminated materials and treated wastewater starting in 1986. A formal cleanup plan was finalized in September 1991, calling for soil vapor extraction and a permeable reactive barrier system to break down dissolved VOCs. Construction was completed in September 2002. The site is organized into three operable units (OUs), which are distinct cleanup areas. OU1 addressed soil vapor extraction and finished its long-term response action in March 2006. OU2 involved reactive barrier walls, with operation and maintenance wrapping up in November 2013. OU3 is the most active area, covering a revised investigation and new treatment methods. An updated cleanup plan issued in April 2020 added electrical resistivity heating, in situ chemical oxidation, enhanced reductive dechlorination, soil excavation, and vapor intrusion mitigation systems. Work on OU3 is estimated to continue through early 2028.
Currently, human exposure is under control and groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. A training facility now operates on the property and runs a vapor intrusion mitigation program. Area residents are connected to municipal water supplies. Institutional controls restrict residential development and block new wells into contaminated groundwater zones. The site is not yet sitewide ready for anticipated use, meaning not all cleanup goals have been met. The most recent five-year review was completed in December 2025, and sitewide readiness for reuse is estimated between September and November 2027. EPA is using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to speed up cleanup.
Community members can get involved through EPA's Superfund Community Involvement Program. A 2024 Community Involvement Plan outlines how residents can participate throughout the cleanup process. A Proposed Plan Fact Sheet from September 2019 is also available. Administrative records can be viewed at the Montross Branch of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library at 56 Polk Street in Montross, Virginia, or at EPA's Region 3 office in Philadelphia. Appointments should be scheduled in advance.
