Rochester Property

Overview

The Rochester Property sits on 4.5 acres in Greenville County near Travelers Rest, South Carolina. Between 1971 and 1972, industrial wastes including wood glue, print binders, and adhesive materials were buried in four trenches on the property. That waste handling contaminated both soil and groundwater. EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List in 1989.

The contaminants of concern found in groundwater include benzene, beryllium, bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, bromodichloromethane, butyl benzyl phthalate, chloroform, manganese, and trichloroethene. Soil was also contaminated but was addressed early in the cleanup process. A responsible party removed 1,500 cubic yards of contaminated soil and eight drums of waste in 1990. After that removal, EPA determined soil no longer needed further cleanup.

Groundwater cleanup came next. A remedial investigation ran from 1992 to 1993, and EPA selected the final remedy in August 1993. That remedy called for air sparging, which injects air into groundwater to drive out contaminants, along with institutional controls and monitoring. The responsible party installed the air sparging system in 1995 and modified it in 2002 to add ozone treatment. Final sampling in 2006 confirmed groundwater had reached cleanup goals. Construction was formally completed on October 16, 1995, and the long-term response action ran through February 2005.

EPA deleted the site from the National Priorities List on October 9, 2007. The site is cleaned to levels that support unrestricted use and unrestricted exposure. Human exposure is under control, and contaminated groundwater has been stabilized in its original area. EPA continues monitoring to confirm groundwater stays contained and does not discharge to surface water at unacceptable levels. No additional cleanup work is anticipated.

During the cleanup, EPA kept the community informed through fact sheets, public notices, and public meetings. No further community outreach is planned, though the site profile remains available for historical reference. Anyone with questions can contact the EPA's Remedial Project Manager. Records related to the site are also available for public review at the Travelers Rest Branch Library, located at 17 Center Street in Travelers Rest, South Carolina 29690.