SCRDI Bluff Road

Overview

The SCRDI Bluff Road site is a 4-acre former industrial and waste disposal facility in Columbia, South Carolina. It was added to the EPA's National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983 after chemical wastes were stored and disposed of there in drums and containers between 1975 and 1982. The operators during that period were the Columbia Organic Chemical Company and South Carolina Recycling and Disposal, Inc. The nearest residence is one mile away.

The site has 34 contaminants of concern affecting soil and groundwater. These fall into two main groups: chlorinated solvents, such as trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, carbon tetrachloride, and chloroform, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and acetone. Most contaminants were detected across both soil and groundwater in the site's single cleanup area, known as Operable Unit 01 (OU01).

Cleanup began in 1982 when responsible parties removed all drums and materials from the site. The EPA finalized a cleanup plan in 1990 that called for soil vapor extraction, air stripping of groundwater, and ongoing groundwater monitoring. The soil vapor extraction system ran from 1994 to 1997 and met all soil cleanup goals by 1996. A groundwater treatment system started in 1996 and recovered and treated 718 million gallons of groundwater while removing 3,889 pounds of VOCs between 1996 and 2009. Construction was formally completed in September 1998. The cleanup technologies for OU01 include carbon adsorption, soil vapor extraction, air stripping, and extraction through vertical wells, with treated water reinjected back into the aquifer.

The most recent Five-Year Review, completed in September 2023, found the site protective of human health in the short term. Human exposure is currently under control, and there is no complete pathway for people to contact contaminated groundwater. The groundwater recovery and reinjection system has contained the contaminant plume and is steadily reducing contamination levels. Groundwater movement is stable, with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. Responsible parties continue groundwater sampling and monitoring under EPA and South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) oversight. The site has not yet been deleted from the NPL, and cleanup goals have not been fully met across the entire site. The next Five-Year Review is estimated between September and November 2028.

Community members can stay involved through EPA's community involvement activities, which include public notices, neighborhood interviews, information meetings, formal public meetings, and site tours. The Richland County Public Library at 7421 Garners Ferry Road in Columbia holds records related to cleanup work at the site. Two EPA contacts are available to answer questions or address concerns about the site.