Woolfolk Chemical Works, Inc.

Overview

Woolfolk Chemical Works operated for over a century in Fort Valley, Georgia, producing herbicides and pesticides. EPA placed it on the Superfund National Priorities List in 1990 after finding contaminated groundwater and soils. The site sits near residential areas to the west, south, and east, and commercial or light industrial areas to the north and east. Cleanup is divided into five operable units targeting different areas and contamination types. Construction is not yet complete across the full site.

Contaminants of concern include volatile organic compounds such as 1,2-dichloroethane, chloroform, and tetrachloroethene in groundwater, along with metals including arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and lead. Soil contains pesticides and breakdown products such as DDT compounds, chlordane, dieldrin, and toxaphene, plus metals, polycyclic aromatic compounds, and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. Arsenic was also found in on-site buildings. Groundwater contamination has reached some private drinking water wells both on and off the site.

Past cleanup actions include removing contaminated soil from 26 residential properties and a drainage corridor between 1993 and 1997, cleaning attic dust in nearby homes, demolishing contaminated buildings, and purchasing and demolishing 17 residential properties. A groundwater pump-and-treat system ran from 1998 to 2003, restarted in 2008, and was shut down in 2014 after a review found it was not working as intended. EPA continues soil cleanup and maintains a capped disposal area on site.

The extent of groundwater contamination is currently unknown and is being investigated. In 2023 and 2024, EPA installed 36 monitoring wells as deep as 400 feet to better map the groundwater plume. Vapor intrusion sampling in 2023 found no immediate health threat to nearby residents. EPA's 2024 Five-Year Review found the remedy at three operable units currently protects human health and the environment, but a protectiveness determination for one unit cannot be made until groundwater investigations wrap up, expected in roughly 2.5 years. EPA has not yet determined whether human exposure is under control.

Portions of the site are already in productive reuse. The Peach County Public Library, a welcome center, and an adult education center occupy former site land. Four businesses now operate on the site, employing 13 people and generating an estimated 4.2 million dollars in annual sales. Community members can stay involved through public notices, public meetings, and interviews that EPA conducts throughout the cleanup process. Site records are available at Thomas Public Library in Fort Valley.