The Cristex Drum site is a 22-acre former textile mill in southwestern Oxford, North Carolina. The facility operated from 1968 to 1986, knitting, dyeing, and finishing nylon acetate fabric. That work used chlorinated solvents, metals like zinc and copper, and various dyes. Contaminants released during operations remain in soil and groundwater today. EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List in December 2013 and issued a cleanup plan called a Record of Decision in September 2017.
EPA identified 15 contaminants of concern at the site. They were detected in air, groundwater, and soil. The list includes tetrachloroethene (PCE), trichloroethene (TCE), benzene, vinyl chloride, carbon tetrachloride, cis-1,2-dichloroethene, 1,4-dichlorobenzene, and benzo(a)pyrene equivalents, among others. Groundwater samples show PCE concentrations reaching 13,000 micrograms per liter, far above EPA drinking water limits. Indoor air testing also detected benzene, PCE, TCE, and vinyl chloride. Contaminated groundwater extends under a nearby apartment complex to the east, but EPA concluded that groundwater migration is under control and stabilized. The North Carolina Division of Public Health determined that people working at or living near the site are not currently exposed to harmful levels of contaminants.
The cleanup covers three zones. Contaminated soil from the surface down to about 20 feet will be excavated, roughly 11,500 cubic yards in total. More deeply contaminated areas near the former drum storage pad will be treated using electrokinetic in situ chemical oxidation. Less contaminated source areas and the dissolved plume in fractured bedrock will be treated using biobarriers. The cleanup also involves demolishing the former Cristex Building, which contains asbestos, and disposing of contaminated soils off-site. Institutional controls limiting land and groundwater use are being placed on the property to reduce exposure to any remaining contamination.
Remedial action started in May 2023, with final remedial action beginning in May 2024. The site received Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to support this work. Physical construction is not yet complete, and the site is not yet ready for anticipated use. An Explanation of Significant Differences issued in August 2022 modified some aspects of the remedy, including cleanup performance standards and the treatment area.
Community members can stay involved through EPA fact sheets, public notices, and public meetings held throughout the cleanup process. Records related to the site are available at the Richard H. Thornton Library at 210 Main Street in Oxford. Questions can be directed to EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager using the contact information below.
