Bypass 601 Ground Water Contamination

Overview

The Bypass 601 Ground Water Contamination site is a 13-acre former battery salvage and scrap metal recycling facility on the western edge of Concord, North Carolina. Martin Scrap Recycling operated there from 1966 to 1986, leaving behind lead-contaminated waste in surface impoundments and holding tanks. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in June 1986 after finding contamination in groundwater, soil, sediment, and debris. The site also includes ten surrounding areas where battery material and debris were disposed.

EPA identified more than 60 contaminants of concern across soil, groundwater, and sediment. Metals include lead, chromium, cadmium, zinc, copper, nickel, beryllium, antimony, manganese, vanadium, and barium. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, carbon tetrachloride, and 1,2-dichloroethane are present. The site also contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), PCBs (Aroclor 1254 and Aroclor 1260), and sulfate contamination in both soil and groundwater.

Cleanup was organized into three operable units (OUs). A removal action took place in early 1992. Between 1992 and 1999, potentially responsible parties (PRPs) excavated contaminated soil, demolished structures, solidified and stabilized waste, and installed an engineered cap over the main facility and two source areas. Monitored natural attenuation addresses remaining groundwater contamination. Construction finished in March 1999, and a partial NPL deletion occurred in September 1998. The site reached sitewide ready for anticipated reuse status in May 2020. The 2022 Five-Year Review confirmed the remedy protects human health and the environment in the short term. Groundwater contamination under one area continues to be monitored. Institutional controls, including zoning restrictions that prevent residential use, remain in place. The next five-year review is estimated between August and October 2027.

The site supports active reuse today. A storage business operates on the capped area, parking containers and recreational vehicles there. As of December 2024, two on-site businesses employed six people and generated about $155,400 in annual sales. The surrounding source areas continue to support residential and commercial uses.

Community members can get involved through public notices, meetings, and interviews that EPA holds throughout the cleanup process. Anyone with questions can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager. Public records are available at the Charles A. Cannon Memorial Library at 27 Union Street North in Concord, North Carolina.