The Avtex Fibers site is a 440-acre former rayon and synthetic fiber plant in Front Royal, Virginia. It operated from 1940 to 1989, then closed after plant waste contaminated groundwater, soil, and the Shenandoah River. EPA added it to the National Priorities List in 1986, and cleanup has continued under EPA oversight ever since.
More than 40 chemicals have been identified as contaminants of concern. In groundwater, these include carbon disulfide, arsenic, antimony, phenols, and polychlorinated biphenyls, known as PCBs. Soil contamination exceeds cleanup standards for metals such as antimony, arsenic, and lead, as well as polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons like benzo(a)pyrene. Contamination was also found in leachate and liquid waste. FMC Corporation is the responsible party and has carried out cleanup work under EPA oversight.
Cleanup covered ten separate operable units addressing groundwater, soil, buildings, drums, and ecological concerns. On-site buildings were demolished by 2005. Contaminated sewers were removed, about 120 acres of industrial waste basins were capped, and contaminated soils were excavated and shipped off-site. A Groundwater Leachate Treatment Plant was built and made fully operational. Major construction work wrapped up in August 2014. The site is now in the operation and maintenance phase. FMC Corporation continues to control erosion, collect and treat contaminated stormwater, and maintain site security. Groundwater is monitored annually and the site is inspected quarterly.
EPA completed its sixth Five-Year Review in March 2023. That review found the remedy protective of human health and the environment in the short term. Human exposure to soil and groundwater contamination is under control across most of the site. One exception is Operable Unit 10, where an ecological exposure pathway exists due to a lack of significant redevelopment. EPA began habitat and vegetation removal there in late 2022, with a second phase underway in 2023. In July 2024, EPA issued an Explanation of Significant Differences for Operable Unit 10, documenting changes to the cleanup plan. The potentially responsible party replanted cleared areas with turf grass to reduce wildlife contact with contaminated soil. The site has not yet been deleted from the National Priorities List. The next five-year review is estimated between March and May 2028.
The site has been partly redeveloped into a 240-acre ecological conservancy park, a 162-acre business park, and community recreation facilities including soccer fields and a skate park. As of December 2024, six on-site businesses employed 31 people. Institutional controls restrict residential use and prevent new drinking water wells in contaminated groundwater areas. Community members with questions can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager.
