The Lexington County Landfill Area covers 160 acres south of Columbia near Cayce, South Carolina. It includes three former disposal areas: the 321 Landfill, Old Cayce Dump, and Bray Park Road Dump. The site accepted domestic waste, industrial waste, petroleum products, and metallic wastes from the 1960s through 1988. EPA added it to the National Priorities List in October 1989 because of contaminated soil and groundwater.
EPA identified 20 contaminants of concern, all in groundwater. These include metals such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and nickel. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found at the site include benzene, vinyl chloride, trichloroethene, and tetrachloroethene. Other contaminants include barium, manganese, zinc, bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, dichloromethane, and bromodichloromethane. Soil contamination has been cleaned up. Groundwater contamination remains within the site boundary but has not affected nearby private wells, and residents use the public water supply.
Cleanup work began in 1994. Lexington County consolidated and capped the waste, installed drainage and erosion controls, and built a groundwater treatment system that started operating in 1999. A landfill gas collection system came online in 2001. Treated groundwater is used for local land irrigation. Deed restrictions protect the landfill cap and prohibit using groundwater for drinking. Zoning restrictions prevent residential development on the site. EPA completed construction at the site on September 19, 2001, and declared the site ready for anticipated reuse on September 11, 2012.
Today, Lexington County owns the site and leases portions for recreational and commercial use, including a golf driving range and baseball fields. Two on-site businesses employ 10 people and generate about $358,900 in annual sales. EPA's most recent Five-Year Review, completed September 27, 2022, found that cleanup protects human health and the environment. Human exposure and groundwater migration are both under control. EPA did require additional sampling to check for hexavalent chromium, given that the site borders residential areas. The next Five-Year Review is estimated between August and October 2027.
Community members can stay informed through public notices and public meetings held as part of EPA's outreach efforts. Site documents are available at the Cayce-West Columbia Library at 1500 Augusta Road in Columbia, South Carolina. Residents with questions can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager.
