B&B Chemical Co., Inc. operated in Hialeah, Florida starting in 1963, manufacturing and mixing industrial cleaning products. Construction workers reported skin irritation and burns near the site in 1981. EPA confirmed soil and groundwater contamination in 1985 and added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1990. The NPL is the federal list of the most serious hazardous waste sites in the country.
EPA found eight contaminants of concern at the site, including benzene, chlorobenzene, chloroethene (also known as vinyl chloride), and chromium. These were present in both soil and groundwater within the site's one cleanup area, known as Operable Unit 1, which targeted groundwater through a pump and treat system.
EPA selected a long-term cleanup plan in 1994. The approach used monitored natural attenuation for groundwater, meaning the environment was allowed to break down contamination naturally while EPA kept watch. Institutional controls were also put in place to protect future land uses. A groundwater pump and treat system was built and operated from December 1995 through September 1999. In 2009, EPA issued an Explanation of Significant Differences to address vapor intrusion concerns. Testing and indoor air quality evaluations showed contamination no longer posed a risk to human health. A soil sampling event in 2017, as part of a Five-Year Review, confirmed soil contamination was below residential risk levels.
The site was deleted from the NPL, with sources citing either June 6, 2014, or August 5, 2014, as the deletion date. Groundwater met cleanup goals, human exposure is under control, and no unacceptable pathways exist for people to contact contamination. The site achieved unrestricted use and unlimited exposure status, meaning it can be used for any purpose without restrictions. The 4.5-acre property continues to operate as a manufacturing facility. B&B Tritech, Inc. currently owns the site and makes chemical cleaning compounds there.
Community members with questions can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager. Public records related to the site are available at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Library in Hialeah.
