Fike Chemical, Inc. operated on an 11-acre parcel in Nitro, West Virginia, where chemical processing left behind contaminated soil and groundwater. The site was added to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. Hazardous materials were buried on-site and placed in lagoons before operations ended in 1988. The site has also been known as the Artel Site, Fike Chemical/Artel, and Fike/American Cyanamid.
EPA identified 25 contaminants of concern across the site. Groundwater holds organic compounds such as benzene, carbon tetrachloride, chlorobenzene, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), along with pesticides including aldrin and lindane. Soils carry similar contamination. Asbestos was found in buildings and structures, and cyanide, metals, and various liquid wastes were also present across different areas of the site.
Cleanup was divided into four main operable units. Work completed between 1989 and 1997 removed materials from tanks and lagoons, dismantled structures, and excavated buried drums. A fourth operable unit, focused on soils and groundwater, added an asphalt cap in 2003 and later ran a biosparging system from 2007 to April 2015. That system proved ineffective, especially against hexamethylphosphoramide contamination. In 2021 and 2022, responsible parties conducted technology screening, and EPA approved laboratory treatability studies to identify a better groundwater remedy. A feasibility study is running through 2027, and a record of decision amendment is estimated for 2028.
The 2022 five-year review confirmed that remedies for the first three operable units protect human health and the environment. Human exposure is currently under control, with no complete exposure pathways and no unacceptable discharge to surface water. Contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized. Institutional controls limit land use to industrial purposes and restrict groundwater use until cleanup goals are met. Portions of the capped site are actively used for employee parking and tanker truck operations. Construction is expected to be completed between August and October 2027, and the next five-year review is scheduled for 2027.
Community members can stay involved through EPA's Community Involvement Plan, which outlines how the agency will keep the public informed and include residents in decision-making throughout the cleanup. Site records are available for review at the Nitro Public Library in Nitro, West Virginia, or at the EPA Region 3 office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Two EPA contacts are available to answer questions about the site directly.
