Callaway and Son Drum Service operated as a 55-gallon drum refurbishing facility from mid-1977 to early 1991 on a 9.5-acre property in Lake Alfred, Florida. Drum cleaning and sandblasting operations contaminated groundwater, soil, and surface water. The EPA added the site to its National Priorities List (NPL) on May 11, 2000, after an initial assessment in 1985.
Five contaminants of concern were identified at the site. Arsenic was found in surface water, groundwater, and soil. Carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (cPAH) and toxaphene were found in soil. These substances were selected because the EPA determined they posed unacceptable risk to human health or the environment based on the amounts present, the type of contamination, and potential health effects from exposure.
The EPA took several cleanup steps between 2001 and 2007. A removal action from November 2001 to January 2002 pulled roughly 2,500 drums from a percolation pond that had collected rinse water. The EPA also worked with Polk County to remove tires and conducted detailed investigation of soil and groundwater. Advanced testing found about 60 compounds in soil samples, but measured levels fell below concern thresholds. On September 12, 2007, the EPA issued a No Further Action Record of Decision for Operable Unit 1, with Florida's agreement. Construction was completed December 21, 2007, and the site achieved sitewide ready-for-anticipated-reuse status on September 18, 2008. The site was deleted from the NPL on August 4, 2009.
Human exposure to contaminants is under control, with no unsafe exposure pathways identified. Groundwater migration has been stabilized and there is no unacceptable discharge to surface water. All cleanup goals for current and reasonably anticipated future land uses have been met. The EPA determined in 2012 that ongoing five-year reviews are not necessary. As of December 2024, one business operated on the site, employing three people and generating roughly $244,100 in annual sales.
Throughout the cleanup, the EPA kept the public informed through fact sheets, public notices, and public meetings. The site profile page remains available for historical reference, though it will not be updated going forward. Community members with questions can contact the EPA staff assigned to the site.
