Stauffer Chemical Co. (Tarpon Springs)

Overview

Victor Chemical Company and later Stauffer Chemical Company ran a 130-acre facility in Tarpon Springs, Florida from 1947 to 1981, producing elemental phosphorus from phosphate ore. The facility was dismantled in 1983, and EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1994. The NPL is EPA's list of the most serious hazardous waste sites in the country.

Operations left behind 38 contaminants of concern spread across soil, groundwater, surface water, sediment, and air. These include metals such as arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium, thallium, and beryllium, as well as elemental phosphorus (P4), asbestos, fluoride, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) like benzo[a]pyrene. Radium-226 was also identified from site operations.

The site is divided into two operable units. Operable Unit 1 covers most contamination. From 2010 to 2011, crews excavated and consolidated over 220,000 cubic yards of contaminated material, installed 42 acres of caps, and built a groundwater cutoff wall more than 2,600 linear feet long. Soil cleanup was completed in 2011, and this unit is now in the operation and maintenance phase. Operable Unit 2 addresses groundwater remediation and has not yet reached a cleanup decision. A combined remedial investigation and feasibility study for that unit is estimated to begin between June and August 2027.

Human exposure is under control, meaning there are no unacceptable exposure pathways to contaminants right now. Groundwater contamination remains within the site boundary but does not affect nearby residences or businesses. Contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized, and there is no unacceptable discharge to surface water. Deed restrictions prohibit residential use and groundwater use at the site. Industrial or commercial uses are permitted. Stauffer Management Company, formed in 1997 as the potentially responsible party, continues to fund cleanup, monitoring, and oversight. The most recent five-year review was conducted in July 2025. Physical construction is not yet complete for the entire site, and the site has not been deleted from the NPL.

Community members can reach the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager directly with questions. The Anclote Community Advisory Group was established in 2000 to give residents a voice in the cleanup process, though the group no longer meets. Public notices and information meetings have been used to keep the community informed. Records related to the site are available at the Tarpon Springs Public Library at 138 East Lemon Street.