Wamchem, Inc. is a 25-acre former dye manufacturing plant in Burton, South Carolina that operated from the 1950s until 1982. The EPA added it to the National Priorities List in 1984 after finding contaminated soil and groundwater from past operations and waste handling. A residential property sits to the north, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort lies to the south, and McCalley's Creek borders the site to the east. That creek is used for recreational fishing and commercial shellfish harvesting.
Seventeen chemical substances have been identified as contaminants of concern at the site. These include chlorinated benzenes such as 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, 1,2-dichlorobenzene, and 1,4-dichlorobenzene, as well as dinitrotoluene, benzene, toluene, xylene, acetone, naphthalene, and other compounds. Contamination has been found in both soil and groundwater within Operable Unit 1.
The cleanup plan, finalized in June 1988, uses two main approaches. About 1,800 tons of contaminated soil were treated using low-level heat, called thermal desorption, in 1993. A five-well pump-and-treat system, which pulls contaminated groundwater to the surface and cleans it using air stripping and carbon adsorption, became operational in 1996. Construction of cleanup work was completed in September 1997, and the pump-and-treat system has continued operating since then under EPA oversight.
Human exposure to the contamination is currently under control. There are no unacceptable pathways for people to come into contact with the contaminants, and contaminated groundwater has been stabilized in its original area with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. EPA will keep monitoring to confirm the groundwater stays contained. The most recent Five-Year Review, completed in September 2024, confirmed the remedy still protects human health and the environment. The site has not yet been deleted from the National Priorities List, and not all cleanup goals or required land-use restrictions are fully in place yet. The next Five-Year Review is scheduled for 2029.
Community members can stay involved through public notices, public meetings, and interviews that EPA holds as part of its community involvement activities. Questions about the site can be directed to the EPA staff assigned to the site, including a Community Involvement Coordinator and a Remedial Project Manager.
