The Independent Nail Co. site sits in Beaufort, South Carolina, where a screw and fastener manufacturing facility operated from 1969 to 1980, followed by a nail coating process. Waste handling practices contaminated soil, sediment, surface water, and groundwater at the site. The EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in 1984 and deleted it in 1995 after cleanup was underway.
Six contaminants of concern were identified at the site: cadmium, chromium, cyanide, nickel, and zinc. These appear in soil, sediment, and groundwater across different parts of the site. The EPA selected them because they pose unacceptable risk to human health or the environment based on exposure potential, the amounts present, and their health or ecological effects.
Cleanup was split into two operable units. For source control, the EPA dug up 5,500 cubic yards of contaminated soil and sediment between 1988 and 1989, solidified and stabilized the material, placed it back into the lagoon area, and added a protective soil cover with vegetation. For groundwater, the EPA determined in 1989 that no cleanup action was needed. South Carolina monitored groundwater from 1990 to 2003. In 2016, restrictive covenants filed with the Beaufort County Register of Deeds added institutional controls that limit groundwater use, restrict future land use, and prohibit disturbance of the protective cover over the buried waste material.
Physical construction of the cleanup is complete across the entire site. Human exposure is currently under control, with no unacceptable pathways for people to contact contaminants. All cleanup goals for current and reasonably anticipated future land uses have been met. The Independent Nail Company continues to operate its facility at the site. The most recent Five-Year Review was completed on August 27, 2021, and the next review is scheduled for 2026. Ongoing maintenance, monitoring, and institutional controls remain active.
Community members can get involved by attending public meetings or contacting EPA staff directly. Site documents are available at the Beaufort County Library at 311 Scott Street in Beaufort, South Carolina. Additional records can be accessed through EPA's Superfund records system. The EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager can answer questions.
