Cape Fear Wood Preserving is a 9-acre former wood-preserving facility in Fayetteville, North Carolina. It operated from 1953 to 1983 and was placed on the EPA's Superfund National Priorities List in 1987. The site is divided into two operable units and remains on the list today. Physical cleanup construction is complete across the entire site, but cleanup goals have not yet been fully achieved in all areas.
Contamination affects groundwater, soil, sediment, and surface water. The EPA identified 37 contaminants of concern. These include heavy metals such as arsenic, chromium, and copper; volatile organic compounds including benzene and styrene; and a range of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, such as naphthalene, anthracene, pyrene, benzo[a]pyrene, and several others. A dense non-aqueous phase liquid, or DNAPL, a particularly persistent contaminant, is also present at the site.
Cleanup happened in four phases. Early work removed hazardous materials, demolished structures, and addressed contaminated soil near an active rail line. Soil was cleaned to residential-use standards by 1999. A groundwater treatment system became operational in 2001 and treated over 35.3 million gallons by June 2011. About 168,400 pounds of DNAPL were removed through off-site disposal. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality took over operation and maintenance of the groundwater treatment system in 2012. Human exposure is currently under control, soil contamination is below unacceptable risk levels, and vapor intrusion does not pose an unacceptable risk. Contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. Institutional controls, including zoning restrictions, prevent incompatible land uses such as residential development.
In 2022, the EPA selected a new remedy for groundwater through a Record of Decision Amendment. The updated approach adds in-situ bioremediation, engineered barriers, soil caps, solidification and stabilization, institutional controls, and groundwater monitoring. Remedial design is underway, with completion expected in 2027 and construction activities to follow. A final remedial action phase is estimated to begin between June and August 2028. The most recent Five-Year Review, completed September 30, 2021, confirmed that response actions remain protective in the short term. The next Five-Year Review is estimated for August through October 2026.
Community members can stay involved through public notices and meetings hosted by the EPA. The EPA held a virtual public meeting on August 30, 2022, and accepted written comments through September 11, 2022, before selecting the new remedy. Site records are available through the EPA's Superfund database and in person at the Cumberland County Public Library at 300 Maiden Lane in Fayetteville. Two EPA staff members are available to answer questions: Community Involvement Coordinator Brenda Bonner and Remedial Project Manager Susan Kibler.
