The Burlington Industries Cheraw site is a former textile manufacturing facility in Cheraw, South Carolina. The site includes 3.2 miles of surface water drainage to the Great Pee Dee River and nearby properties where contamination has spread. EPA added it to the National Priorities List in May 2018. The facility once made woven fiberglass fabrics and is now partly owned by Highland Industries, Inc.
Polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, are the main contaminant of concern. PCBs are toxic and persist in the environment for a long time. They have been found in surface and subsurface soils on residential lots, the former facility property, sediment along the drainage corridor, and downstream public and private properties. Human exposure status and groundwater migration status both have insufficient data at this time, meaning it is not yet clear whether exposures are controlled or whether contaminated groundwater is stabilized.
Cleanup began in 2017. EPA removed contaminated soil from 14 residential yards and Huckleberry Park before the site was listed on the National Priorities List. After Hurricanes Florence and Michael hit in 2018, PCBs turned up in four previously cleaned yards and inside four flooded homes. EPA removed contaminated materials and replaced them with clean soil and sod. Removal work under a 2018 agreement with Highland Industries covered Huckleberry Park, the Highland property, and a drainage ditch, with contamination found as deep as 14 feet below ground. EPA states that all known high concentrations and sources of PCBs have been addressed through these removal and emergency response actions.
The site is now in the investigation phase. Highland Industries is required by a June 2019 consent agreement to conduct a remedial investigation and feasibility study. That study covers remaining PCBs in residential properties, undeveloped parcels, tributaries, ponds, creeks, wetlands, and the Pee Dee River. EPA will separately investigate wastewater settling ponds formerly operated by Burlington north of the site. Operable Unit 02 is expected to reach a remedy decision between December 2027 and February 2028. No remedial action construction has started yet, and the site is not ready for its anticipated future use. Once cleanup is complete, it will provide long-term protection for human health and the environment.
Community members can review site records at the Matheson Memorial Library at 227 Huger Street in Cheraw. EPA holds public meetings and issues public notices to keep residents informed. After the feasibility study is complete, EPA will release a Proposed Plan and open a public comment period. Residents with questions can contact the EPA staff assigned to the site.
