Carolawn, Inc. is a 60-acre former solvent waste storage and treatment facility in Fort Lawn, South Carolina. Operators stored and disposed of hazardous waste there from 1970 to 1979, leaving behind leaking tanks, drums, and sludge-filled lagoons when the site was abandoned in 1980. The EPA added it to the National Priorities List in 1983 because of contaminated groundwater. The site sits near residential areas and agricultural land, though a public water line now supplies safe drinking water to nearby residents and businesses.
Seven contaminants of concern have been identified, all found in groundwater. They are 1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethene, acetone, cis-1,2-dichloroethene, lead, and trans-1,2-dichloroethene. Contamination also affects soil, surface water, and sediment. The EPA determined that vapor intrusion does not pose a threat to residents or workers.
Cleanup has involved multiple actions. Between 1981 and 1986, the EPA removed over 1,000 drums of hazardous waste and storage tanks. Long-term remedies were constructed between 1993 and 1998, including a groundwater extraction and treatment system using air stripping, carbon adsorption, and bioremediation. Starting in 2010, a soil vapor extraction system was added to reduce volatile organic compounds in the subsurface. The area north of the fenced zone required no further action, per a 1995 decision. In 1996, a new owner purchased part of the site and built a regional turkey feed mill, bringing economic activity back to the property.
The most recent Five-Year Review, completed in September 2023, found the remedy protective in the short term. Human exposure is under control, with no unacceptable exposure pathways identified. Groundwater migration is also under control, with contamination stabilized and no unacceptable discharge to surface water. Monitoring continues, and responsible parties are working to put additional institutional controls in place to restrict groundwater use and certain types of construction. The site has not yet achieved sitewide ready-for-anticipated-reuse status. The next Five-Year Review is estimated between September and November 2028.
Community members can stay involved through a Community Advisory Group that formed in the early 1990s and continues to meet. The EPA holds community briefings roughly twice a year and conducts public notices, interviews, and public meetings. Questions can be directed to the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager.
