Hollingsworth Solderless Terminal

Overview

A solderless terminal manufacturer operated on this 3.5-acre Fort Lauderdale property from 1968 to 1982, leaving behind soil and groundwater contamination from volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. The NPL is the federal government's roster of contaminated sites that need long-term cleanup attention. Several businesses currently operate on the property, employing 52 people and generating about $28 million in annual sales.

Eight contaminants of concern have been identified at the site. Groundwater contains chloroethene (vinyl chloride), cis-1,2-dichloroethene, trans-1,2-dichloroethene, and trichloroethene. Soil contained copper, lead, nickel, and VOCs. The EPA chose these contaminants for cleanup based on exposure potential, the amounts present, and their possible effects on human health and the environment.

Cleanup began in 1986. The EPA installed a soil vapor extraction system in 1989 to pull trichloroethylene out of the ground, and by 1992 removed most contaminated soils. Major construction was completed by June 1993. In 2008, the EPA updated its cleanup plan to add enhanced in-situ bioremediation, which uses microbes to break down contaminants in place. Institutional controls restrict groundwater use at the site, and the South Florida Water Management District requires approval before any new wells are installed nearby.

As of November 2019, only one monitoring well showed contaminant levels slightly above cleanup goals. Vinyl chloride and trichloroethylene were the only contaminants still detected above state or federal standards. Human exposure to site contaminants is currently under control. Once vinyl chloride levels meet drinking water standards, the EPA plans to remove the site from the NPL. The most recent five-year review was completed in September 2021, with the next one estimated between August and October 2026. Long-term response work ran through September 2024.

Community members can stay involved through the EPA's public participation program, which uses public notices, public meetings, and interviews to share updates and gather input. Site records are available at the Broward County Public Library at 100 S. Andrews Ave., Level 5, in Fort Lauderdale. Two EPA staff members are available to answer questions directly.