Clearwater Finishing

Overview

Clearwater Finishing is a former textile dyeing and finishing plant that operated from 1929 to 1988 in western South Carolina. The site also conducted chromium electroplating. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) added it to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in September 2020. Cleanup work is in an active early phase, with a removal action ongoing and a broader remedial investigation underway.

Contamination affects soil, wetlands, creek sediments, and groundwater across the site. Soil contains PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), benzo(a)pyrene, arsenic, hexavalent chromium, copper, lead, mercury, and zinc. An abandoned surface impoundment in a wetlands area holds PCBs, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, hexavalent chromium, copper, lead, and mercury. Groundwater contains chromium and copper. Chromium, copper, lead, mercury, and zinc are also present in the drainage canal, Little Horse Creek, and Horse Creek. Those waterways and the Savannah River are used for recreational fishing, which creates a potential health risk through fish consumption. The EPA has determined that human exposure control status remains uncertain due to insufficient data.

In early 2023, sampling found that roughly 80 percent of the site was covered with asbestos-containing material mixed into demolition debris. A time-critical removal action began in October 2023 to address that debris. As of February 2025, workers had removed 9,343 tons of contaminated material. About 12,000 tons of asbestos-containing debris remains on site. That remaining debris has been excavated, covered, and contained to limit exposure while removal actions resume. Completion of the island area removal is estimated between August and October 2027. The EPA is also evaluating potentially responsible parties to help fund and carry out the investigation and cleanup. Prior removal actions at the site occurred from August 1994 through August 1995.

The site is divided into three operable units (OUs). OU1 covers the island area and has the active removal underway. OU2 covers the facility and groundwater areas, with work planned to begin between July and September 2027. A combined remedial investigation and feasibility study (RI/FS) for OU2 is estimated to start between January and March 2027. Physical construction of cleanup work is not yet complete, and the site is not ready for anticipated future uses.

Community members should avoid all areas of the site. Entering the former warehouse or spending extended time near the surrounding soil and creeks may be hazardous. Keep children away from the property. The EPA holds public meetings, issues public notices, and conducts community interviews throughout the cleanup process. Site records are available at the Midland Valley Branch Library in Warrenville, South Carolina. People with questions can reach the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager directly, or contact the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.