The Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. Albany Plant sits on 329 acres in Dougherty County, Georgia. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) added it to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1989 after tire manufacturing operations left behind contaminated soil and groundwater. Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. is the responsible party and has led cleanup efforts under EPA and Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) oversight. The plant closed in 2009, and a portion of the building was demolished in 2012. The current owner, W.P. Carey, is working to re-tenant the remaining building and develop vacant land on the property.
More than 50 contaminants have been identified at the site. They include volatile organic compounds such as benzene, toluene, xylene, trichloroethene, and tetrachloroethene. Heavy metals including lead, chromium, arsenic, antimony, beryllium, and selenium are present, along with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the form of Aroclor 1254 and Aroclor 1260. Chlorinated solvents and phthalate compounds have also been detected. Contamination affects soil, groundwater, and sediment across the site's single operable unit, known as OU01.
Cleanup began in the mid-1980s with removal of contaminated soil, debris, transformers, and underground storage tanks. The formal remedy, selected in 1993, called for excavating and disposing of contaminated soil off-site and installing a groundwater pump-and-treat system using air stripping. Soil remediation is complete. A 2010-2011 study showed groundwater contamination was decreasing on its own, so the pump-and-treat system was shut off in 2012. The system can be restarted if contaminant levels rise in two consecutive monitoring events. Groundwater monitoring continues on a yearly basis during seasons when contaminant concentrations have historically been highest.
The most recent Five Year Review, completed in September 2021, confirmed the remedy is working as designed and that remaining groundwater contamination is effectively contained within the site boundary. No one uses groundwater at the site for drinking water. Human exposure is under control, and groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. Fencing limits public access, and zoning restrictions prevent residential development. As of December 2024, one on-site business employed 57 people. The next five-year review is estimated to take place between August and October 2026. The site has not yet been deleted from the NPL.
Community members can stay involved through EPA's ongoing outreach activities, which include public notices, meetings, and interviews. Site records are available at the Dougherty County Library at 300 Pine Avenue in Albany, Georgia. Two EPA staff members are available to answer questions directly.
