JJ Seifert Machine Company ran a small manufacturing facility on Old Highway 41 South in Ruskin, Florida from 1962 to 2011. The site included a paint shed, drum storage, and a plating operation. Waste handling practices allowed contamination to spread into groundwater beneath the site and onto nearby properties. The EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in March 2010 after the owner and operator declined to address the problem adequately.
EPA identified eleven contaminants of concern at the site. Metals including barium, chromium, and lead were found in soil. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a group of chemicals that evaporate easily and can move through groundwater, include vinyl chloride, tetrachloroethene, trichloroethene, and two forms of dichloroethene. These were found in both soil and groundwater. Testing found VOCs in 13 of the 28 private and community drinking wells within a quarter-mile of the site. Six of those wells exceeded federal and state drinking water standards. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection installed filters in those six wells in 2009 and will add filters to any additional wells that exceed standards going forward.
The selected cleanup approach for the site focuses on injecting biological amendments into the groundwater to break down VOCs, a process called bioremediation. Cleanup construction began in September 2014 and finished by June 2016. The last injection of biological amendments took place in April 2017. VOC concentrations have dropped significantly since then, but it may take 5 to 10 years for levels to reach drinking water standards across the entire affected area. EPA soil sampling at a nearby church property with a children's playground found no site-related contaminants, and vapor intrusion has been ruled out as a threat. A long-term groundwater monitoring program is currently running to track progress. The most recent five-year review was completed in January 2025, and an Explanation of Significant Differences for the cleanup plan is scheduled for January 2026. Three businesses are currently operating on the site and generated about $641,000 in annual sales as of December 2024.
One area of note: the health and environment section states that human exposure status is listed as insufficient data because the remedial investigation is still underway, while the cleanup section describes the investigation as complete and construction finished. Both claims appear in the source materials. The groundwater migration is described as currently under control.
Community members can stay involved through public meetings, public notices, and door-to-door outreach by EPA staff. Spanish translation is available for residents who need it. Records related to the site can be reviewed at the Hillsborough County Ruskin Branch Library at 26 Dickman Drive SE in Ruskin, Florida 33570.
