Reeves Southeastern Galvanizing Corp.

Overview

The Reeves Southeastern Galvanizing Corp. site is a former galvanizing and wire production facility in Tampa, Florida. Operations beginning in the 1960s contaminated soil, groundwater, sediment, and surface water through waste disposal into on-site ponds. The site was added to the EPA's National Priorities List in 1983 and is still on that list today.

Contaminants at the site include heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, nickel, and zinc. These appear in soil, sediment, groundwater, and surface water. Groundwater also contains aluminum, ammonia, and iron. Soil holds 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

Cleanup is divided into three operable units. For the source area, about 6,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil and sediment were excavated between 1996 and 1997. That material was solidified and capped on site. For groundwater, an initial plan of natural monitoring was changed in 2014 to active chemical treatment. Additional chemical injections were completed in 2022, and monitoring is ongoing. The area-wide wetlands required no further action beyond continued monitoring. Physical construction across the site was finished on September 10, 2019. EPA assessments show human exposure and groundwater migration are currently under control.

The site remains in active industrial use. Industrial Galvanizers of America has leased a portion of the property since 1996 and runs hot-dip galvanizing operations there. Master-Halco, Inc. bought the property in 2001 and operates a wire fence manufacturing facility on site. As of December 2024, six businesses on the property employ 297 people and generate an estimated $275 million in annual sales. Institutional controls limit the property to industrial and commercial use, ban groundwater use until cleanup standards are met, and require new construction to connect to the public water supply. The Southwest Florida Water Management District must approve any new wells in the area.

The EPA conducts community involvement activities throughout the cleanup process, including public notices, public meetings, and interviews. Community members with questions can contact the Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager. The next Five-Year Review is estimated between August and October 2026. Records related to cleanup work can be viewed at the Brandon Regional Library at 619 Vondenburg Drive in Brandon, Florida.