Perdido Ground Water Contamination

Overview

A train derailment in 1965 near Perdido, Alabama spilled benzene into drainage ditches along Highway 61. The benzene soaked into the groundwater that local residents relied on for drinking water. By 1982, benzene had been detected in residential wells within one mile of the derailment site. The EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in September 1983, making it eligible for federal Superfund cleanup funding.

Benzene is the only contaminant of concern identified at this site. It was found in groundwater and posed an unacceptable risk to human health. To protect residents while cleanup was underway, about 150 Perdido homes were connected to a public water supply from Atmore, six miles away, completed in 1983.

The EPA issued a cleanup plan in 1988. That plan called for pumping contaminated groundwater out of the ground and treating it using air stripping, a process that removes dissolved chemicals from water by exposing it to air. Recovery wells pulled the contaminated water up from below. In 1993, the EPA approved releasing treated groundwater into nearby Perdido Creek when needed. Biosparge wells, which pump oxygen into the ground to help break down contaminants naturally, were added in 1998 and 1999. Construction of the full cleanup system was completed in July 1993.

Benzene levels at the site have been below the federal Safe Drinking Water Act standard since early 2009. Human exposure is under control, and groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. All monitoring wells reached the cleanup goal of 5 micrograms per liter of benzene and held that level for five consecutive years. The site was deleted from the NPL in May 2017. No waste remains on-site above levels that would restrict land use or human exposure, and no further cleanup or five-year reviews are required. As of December 2024, seven businesses operate at the location, employing nine people and generating roughly $327,310 in annual sales.

Community members with questions can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager. This site profile remains available for historical reference even though active updates have ended.