The Flowood Site covers 225 acres in the Pearl River floodplain in Flowood, Mississippi. Manufacturing facilities have operated there since the 1940s. Lead contamination in soil and sediment led the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to add the site to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in 1984. The NPL is the federal government's roster of the most serious hazardous waste sites in the country. The site was deleted from that list in February 1996 after EPA confirmed the cleanup was working.
Lead is the main contaminant of concern. It was found in both soil and groundwater in the site's single cleanup area, known as Operable Unit 1. The cleanup involved digging up contaminated soil, then treating it through solidification and stabilization. The treated material was placed in a capped 2.2-acre landfill on the property. Construction wrapped up in September 1993. An Explanation of Significant Differences, issued in 1993, added institutional controls, which are legal restrictions that limit how the land can be used.
EPA has determined that human exposure at the site is under control. There are no unacceptable exposure pathways, all cleanup goals for current and expected future land uses have been met, and the required land-use restrictions are in place. The nearest homes are more than half a mile away. The site has achieved what EPA calls "sitewide ready for anticipated use" status. Potentially responsible parties, meaning companies or individuals legally connected to the contamination, remain bound by a Consent Decree and continue to fund monitoring and oversight. Operation and maintenance activities are ongoing.
The site is actively used today. Warehousing and storage businesses operate on the property, and the United Gas Pipe Line Company owns the southwest portion. As of December 2024, seven on-site businesses employed 34 people and generated about $36.96 million in annual sales. Two sources give different dates for the most recent Five-Year Review: the cleanup section states it was completed in 2021, while the cleanup progress section states it was completed in March 2026. Five-Year Reviews are required whenever hazardous substances remain at levels above those that allow unrestricted use, and they assess whether the remedy continues to protect people and the environment.
Community members can view site records at the Pearl Public Library at 3470 Highway 80 E in Pearl, Mississippi. EPA also conducts public notices, public meetings, and interviews to keep the public informed. Three EPA contacts are available to answer questions about the site.
