The SCRDI Dixiana site is a 2-acre property in Cayce, South Carolina, where drums of industrial waste were stored starting in 1978. The drums leaked paints, solvents, acids, oils, phenols, and dyes into the groundwater. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. The NPL is the federal government's list of the most serious hazardous waste sites in the country.
EPA has identified 26 contaminants of concern in the groundwater. These include chlorinated solvents like trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, and carbon tetrachloride. Volatile organic compounds such as benzene, toluene, and xylene are also present, along with heavy metals including arsenic, cadmium, and chromium. Phenol, acetone, and various phthalates round out the list. All contamination is in groundwater at the site.
The site's cleanup has gone through several phases. The responsible party, SCRDI, removed drums and visibly contaminated soil in 1980. EPA issued a cleanup plan in 1986 calling for groundwater extraction and on-site treatment. Construction of that remedy was completed in 1992. The plan was updated in 1991 to route treated groundwater to the local water treatment plant, and again in 2010 to add institutional controls restricting groundwater use and well drilling on and around the property. Residents and businesses in the area are connected to a public water supply instead of private wells.
The site's potentially responsible parties have funded and led cleanup and monitoring since 1995, under EPA and South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control oversight. EPA's 2020 Five Year Review found that the site currently protects human health and the environment because no complete exposure pathways to contamination exist. Groundwater migration is stabilized, and there is no unacceptable discharge to surface water. Physical construction of the cleanup is complete for the entire site, but some cleanup goals have not been fully met yet. Monitoring and treatment of groundwater will continue until all goals are achieved. The site has not been deleted from the NPL. A developer has expressed interest in purchasing the property, and institutional controls restrict uses like residential development that are not compatible with the current cleanup level.
Community members who want to stay informed or ask questions can contact EPA staff directly. Public records related to the site are available at the R. H. Smith Library at 1006 Twelfth Street in Cayce, South Carolina. EPA's community involvement activities include public notices, interviews, and public meetings.
