Macon Naval Ordnance Plant

Overview

The Macon Naval Ordnance Plant covers 433 acres in Macon, Georgia. The U.S. Navy used the property to manufacture ordnance and conduct metal plating from 1941 to 1965. Industrial operations continued under later owners. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in May 2013 after finding that waste disposal had contaminated groundwater and Rocky Creek.

The main contaminant in groundwater is trichloroethylene, or TCE, a volatile organic compound. In 2009, EPA measured TCE at up to 20,000 micrograms per liter, far above the federal drinking water standard of 5 micrograms per liter. Groundwater beneath the site is not used for drinking water. TCE can also move through building foundations into indoor air, a process called vapor intrusion. EPA found unacceptable TCE levels in indoor air at on-site businesses in 2015 and again in March 2020. Mitigation steps, including sealing foundation cracks, increasing air circulation, and installing air filters, were taken each time. Polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, were also found in site soils, but at levels that pose no public health threat given the site's commercial use. Fish sampling in Rocky Creek in 2019 and 2020 showed that PCB levels have dropped significantly since the 1990s. EPA still advises avoiding channel catfish and spotted sucker from Rocky Creek downstream of Houston Road, as those bottom feeders had the highest PCB levels.

EPA finalized a Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study agreement with eleven potentially responsible parties in September 2018. Field sampling of soil and groundwater began in November 2019 and is ongoing to define the extent of contamination. The Feasibility Study, which will propose cleanup options, is expected to be completed in 2025. No cleanup remedy has been selected yet, and no physical cleanup work has started. Human exposure is currently considered under control, but groundwater migration status remains uncertain due to insufficient data.

The site continues to operate as Allied Industrial Park, managed by the Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority since 1980. As of December 2024, 15 businesses on the property employ 184 people. No institutional controls limiting land use are in place yet, but they will be included in the final cleanup plan.

Community members can stay informed through EPA updates and public availability sessions. EPA held sessions in March 2012, March 2013, and November 2019, and has issued press releases and fact sheets about sampling results. Site documents are available at the Middle Georgia Regional Library, 180 Washington Avenue, Macon, Georgia. Residents can also contact EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager directly with questions.