Medley Farm Drum Dump sits in Gaffney, Cherokee County, South Carolina. Chemical waste stored in drums from 1973 to 1978 contaminated soil and groundwater at the site. EPA added it to the National Priorities List in March 1989. Cleanup has gone through multiple phases over several decades, and the site remains on the National Priorities List.
EPA has identified 39 chemical contaminants at the site. These include chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, and 1,1,1-trichloroethane, as well as volatile organic compounds like benzene, chloroform, and acetone, the pesticide toxaphene, and phthalates. Contamination is present in groundwater and soil. A 10-acre groundwater contamination zone was identified between 1989 and 1991. Surface water sampling in Jones Creek found no site contaminants as of 2009.
The site's responsible parties have led cleanup under EPA and state oversight. Early work in 1983 removed contaminated soil, drums, and water from six unlined lagoons. Pump-and-treat and soil vapor extraction systems ran from 1995 through 2004, when soil cleanup finished. The site then switched to enhanced reductive dechlorination, a biodegradation process applied in place, to address remaining groundwater contamination. A 2012 Record of Decision Amendment added monitored natural attenuation and anaerobic bioremediation as cleanup methods. Groundwater treatment continues today, and contamination remains confined within the site boundary.
Institutional controls placed on the property in 2010 prohibit digging, groundwater use, and well installation. A water line connects the residence next to the site to the public water supply. EPA's 2019 Five-Year Review confirmed that human exposure is under control and groundwater migration is stabilized. The site achieved sitewide ready for anticipated reuse status in August 2011. The most recent five-year review was completed in September 2024. Zoning restrictions prevent residential development and other land uses that would be inappropriate given the current cleanup level.
Community members can stay informed through public notices, public meetings, and interviews that EPA conducts about cleanup progress. Site records are available at the Cherokee County Public Library at 300 East Rutledge Street in Gaffney. The EPA Remedial Project Manager, Allan Hernandez, can be reached by email or phone for questions about the site.
