Townsend Saw Chain Co.

Overview

The Townsend Saw Chain Company site sits on about 50 acres in Pontiac, South Carolina. EPA added it to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1990 after improper wastewater disposal during metal products manufacturing contaminated the soil and groundwater. Today the site hosts 26 active businesses, including a veterinary hospital, hotel, auto-body shop, and restaurants, spread across 35.5 acres of commercial development.

EPA identified 13 contaminants of concern, all focused in Operable Unit 1. Groundwater contains 1,1-dichloroethene, cadmium, chromium, cyanide, lead, nitrate, tetrachloroethene, trichloroethene, and vanadium. Chromium(VI) was also found in soil. Contamination migrated off site onto the western side of Spears Creek Church Road, but vapor intrusion was assessed and found not to pose a threat.

Textron, Inc. led cleanup under EPA and state oversight. A groundwater pump-and-treat system ran from 1982 to 2002 and pulled out more than 550 pounds of chromium. Contaminated soil was excavated in 1995 and 1996, removing about 75 tons of material. Later work added a BioBarrier system and in-situ chemical reduction treatments. A permeable reactive barrier was also added to the remedy in 2007. All soil cleanup goals were met in the mid-1990s, and as of March 2023, all monitoring wells meet cleanup goals for groundwater.

In September 2019, EPA partially deleted the site from the NPL, covering soil, sediment, surface water, and most of the aquifer. A small area of the intermediate aquifer, roughly 5,000 to 8,000 square feet, remains on the list. Three monitoring wells (1MW-01B, MW-128, and OW-143) continue to track that area. Institutional controls restrict groundwater use and limit the site to commercial and industrial purposes. Human exposure and groundwater migration are both considered under control. EPA completed a five-year review in July 2025 to confirm the remedy's long-term effectiveness. A new remedial investigation for Operable Unit 1 began in July 2024, with completion estimated between July and September 2027.

Community members can stay informed through public notices, meetings, and interviews that EPA uses to share updates on site activities. Documents related to EPA Superfund work at the site are available at the Northeast Regional Library in Columbia, South Carolina. Questions can be directed to the EPA Remedial Project Manager.