From 1960 to 1975, a waste hauling company disposed of industrial and septic wastes into five unlined ponds on this 55-acre site near Simpsonville, South Carolina. That practice contaminated soil, sludge, and surface water. The EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) added the site to its National Priorities List (NPL) in 1987, flagging it for formal cleanup.
Forty-six contaminants were identified across soil, groundwater, sludge, and liquid waste. These include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as trichloroethene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, and 1,2-dichloroethane. Metals like arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium, and chromium were also found. Other contaminants include solvents such as toluene, xylene, and acetone, as well as cyanide and phthalates.
Cleanup work began in 1994 following a plan the EPA approved in 1991. Workers discharged pond water to a public treatment facility, then excavated and mixed contaminated soil and sludge with cement to stabilize it. That material was placed in an on-site landfill and covered with clean soil and vegetation. Construction finished in 1996, and the EPA removed the site from the NPL in 1998. Cleanup was carried out under an Administrative Order of Consent issued in 1988 and a Consent Decree finalized in 1993.
The YMCA of Greenville purchased the property in 2002 and built the YMCA-Lucille Rice Recreational Park on the site. The park includes soccer fields, nature trails, an amphitheater, a day camp, and an interactive environmental education center. Institutional controls, including zoning restrictions, remain in place to limit land use and reduce any exposure to residual contamination. Five groundwater monitoring wells are checked annually to confirm that landfill material is not leaching. The most recent Five-Year Review, completed in August 2021, confirmed that the cleanup remains effective and protective of human health and the environment. Human exposure is under control, and the site is considered ready for its current and anticipated future uses.
Community members with questions can contact the EPA staff assigned to the site. Public records related to EPA Superfund work at the site are available at the Hendricks Branch Library in Simpsonville.
