Helena Chemical Co. Landfill

Overview

The Helena Chemical Co. Landfill is a 13.5-acre Superfund site in Fairfax, South Carolina. Pesticide formulation operations ran at the property from the 1960s through 1979, leaving behind contaminated soil, groundwater, sediment, and debris. The site was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1990. Helena Chemical Company still owns the property and runs a retail business there selling agricultural products, employing four people as of late 2024.

EPA has identified 51 contaminants of concern across the site. The main media affected are soil, groundwater, sediment, and debris. Key contaminants include pesticides such as toxaphene, chlordane, DDT compounds, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, and disulfoton, along with metals like chromium and lead, and benzene, a volatile organic compound. Toxaphene is present in surface and subsurface soil at levels that exceed EPA's industrial removal standards, and groundwater contamination has threatened a nearby public water supply. The City of Fairfax has since connected the area to the public water system.

Cleanup work began in earnest in the early 1990s. Since 1993, crews have excavated about 12,900 cubic yards of contaminated soil and sent it for off-site incineration. A groundwater pump-and-treat system has operated since 1995, with quarterly monitoring of groundwater and public water supplies ongoing. The original cleanup plan was amended twice, in 1995 and 1999, to focus on off-site incineration, disposal, and excavation. In 2016, institutional controls restricted groundwater use on contaminated parcels. A 2022 legal agreement further prohibits potable groundwater use, non-industrial site use, and any digging deeper than twelve inches without approval from EPA and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. A fence surrounds contaminated sediment areas to limit access.

As of September 2024, human exposure to contamination is not under control. The Fifth Five-Year Review, completed on September 30, 2024, found the remedy is not protective because soil contamination remains above industrial levels. Workers at the on-site retail business face potential exposure to contaminated soils. EPA has planned activities to map surface soil contamination, put engineering and informational controls in place to protect workers, and pursue further remedial action. A new investigation for the site's main operable unit began in March 2022 and is expected to wrap up between September and November 2028. Vapor intrusion is not currently considered a concern, though EPA will reassess if conditions change.

Community members can stay informed through public notices and information meetings that EPA holds to share updates and gather input. Inquiries about the site can go to the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager. Site records are also available for public review at Fairfax City Hall, located at 635 Allendale Fairfax Highway in Fairfax, South Carolina 29827.