Brewer Gold Mine sits on roughly 1,000 acres about one mile west of Jefferson, South Carolina, in Chesterfield County. The site operated as a gold mine from 1828 to 1995. EPA added it to the Superfund National Priorities List in April 2005 after the mining company abandoned the property in 1999 and acid rock drainage began seeping toward Little Fork Creek. A major incident in 1990 made conditions worse, when a dam failure released over 10 million gallons of cyanide solution into Little Fork Creek, killing fish for nearly 50 miles downstream in the Lynches River system.
EPA has identified 13 contaminants of concern at the site, all found in both groundwater and surface water within Operable Unit 1. Those contaminants are aluminum, antimony, arsenic, cadmium, copper, cyanide, iron, lead, mercury, nickel, selenium, and zinc. Contamination can reach people through ingestion or contact with contaminated groundwater and surface water. Most nearby residences and businesses connect to the Jefferson Town Water System. EPA has determined that contamination has not affected the private wells used by residents immediately west of the site, and human exposure is currently considered under control. Groundwater migration status remains uncertain due to insufficient data about contaminated groundwater movement.
EPA and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control have worked together on cleanup since 2006. Interim actions include collecting contaminated seepage from springs, pumping water from the pits, and treating it before discharge to Little Fork Creek. In September 2014, EPA signed a formal cleanup decision that calls for building a new lime treatment plant with a 56-million-gallon annual capacity, installing extraction wells, constructing a passive treatment system to reduce selenium, and revegetating the former waste rock pile. The remedial design phase is now finished. Remedial action is expected to start once federal funding becomes available. Construction has not yet been completed, and the site has not been removed from the National Priorities List.
EPA has completed five-year reviews in 2011, 2016, and 2021. The 2021 review found cleanup activities protective of human health and the environment. Another five-year review is estimated between August and October 2026. A review is also currently being developed and will be posted when complete. Hazardous substances remain at the site, and interim water treatment operations continue.
Community members can stay involved through EPA fact sheets, public notices, and public meetings. Site documents are available for public review at the Fannie D. Lowry Memorial Branch Library on North Main Street in Jefferson, South Carolina. Questions can be directed to the EPA staff assigned to the site.
