National Starch & Chemical Corp.

Overview

The National Starch & Chemical Corp. site is a former textile finishing and specialty chemical manufacturing facility in Salisbury, Rowan County, North Carolina. It operated from 1970 onward and generated soil, groundwater, and surface water contamination through improper waste disposal between 1971 and 1978. EPA added it to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1989. The facility has operated under different names over the years, most recently as AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals, which was renamed Nouryon in October 2018. Two businesses currently operate on the site, employing 137 people and generating roughly $85.9 million in annual sales.

EPA identified over 60 contaminants of concern across soil, groundwater, and surface water. These include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as trichloroethene, benzene, chloroform, and vinyl chloride, plus metals including arsenic, cadmium, chromium, nickel, and selenium. Some substances, like 1,1,2-trichloroethane and 1,2-dichloroethane, appear in multiple media. Once surface water and sediment leave the site property, sampling no longer detects contamination, so off-site surface water and sediment are not a concern. EPA also assessed vapor intrusion risks to nearby buildings and found no threat.

Cleanup is organized into four operable units (OUs) covering groundwater, soil, surface water, and source control. A groundwater extraction and treatment system ran from 1990 until a 2014 fire damaged it. It was repaired and operated until 2017, then bypassed. EPA approved a new groundwater pretreatment system design in 2021, and construction is underway with an expected startup in 2025. Soil cleanup is complete, including voluntary tree planting in 2005 and a soil vapor extraction system installed in 2010 that continues to run. Surface water remediation was completed in 2002. Source control work began in 2008 and is estimated to finish between March and May 2027.

As of the 2022 Five-Year Review, human exposure is under control and contaminated groundwater migration has been stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. The nearest private drinking water wells are about 2,700 feet from onsite contamination sources. The site achieved sitewide ready for anticipated reuse status as of August 2024, meaning cleanup goals for current and future uses have been met. All required land-use restrictions are in place. The next five-year review is estimated between August and October 2027.

Community members can stay involved through public notices and meetings that EPA holds during the cleanup process. Site records are available at EPA Region 4 in Atlanta, Georgia and at the Rowan County Public Library in Salisbury. Angela Miller is the Community Involvement Coordinator and Adam Acker is the Remedial Project Manager. Both can be reached by email or phone for questions about the site.