The Reasor Chemical Company site sits in Castle Hayne, North Carolina. It was a stump rendering facility that ran from 1959 to 1972, extracting turpentine, pine resin, pine oil, and other products from pine stumps using industrial solvents. A fire destroyed the remaining buildings in April 1972. Contamination was discovered in 1989, and the site was added to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 2002 after investigations began in the 1990s.
The EPA identified 25 contaminants of concern across groundwater, soil, sediment, and surface water. These include metals such as arsenic, lead, chromium, nickel, and copper, along with organic chemicals like toluene and 2-butanone, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) such as benzo(a)pyrene, and the dioxin 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Arsenic was found in both soil and groundwater, and copper appeared in soil, sediment, and surface water.
Cleanup work ran from 2006 through 2017 under EPA and state oversight. Responsible parties removed contaminated soil, sediment, and surface water. A land use restriction was placed on the property deed to prohibit well installation. The original cleanup plan, selected in a 2002 Record of Decision, called for excavation, offsite disposal, and revegetation. A 2007 amendment expanded that approach to add institutional controls, onsite treatment, and an infiltration basin or trench. Groundwater cleanup goals were met by 2017. The EPA conducted five-year reviews in 2012 and 2017 to check conditions after construction was finished.
Human exposure is under control, with no unacceptable exposure pathways identified. Groundwater migration is also under control, with contaminated groundwater stabilized and no unacceptable discharge to surface water. The site achieved construction complete status and is considered sitewide ready for anticipated use. The EPA also assessed the site after Hurricane Florence and found no storm-related impacts or releases. The site was deleted from the NPL on September 25, 2018, confirming all cleanup goals had been met.
Community members with questions can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager. Site documents are available at the New Hanover County Library at 201 Chestnut Street in Wilmington, North Carolina, or through the EPA's Freedom of Information Act office.
