South Point Plant

Overview

South Point Plant is a 610-acre former industrial facility in Lawrence County, Ohio, listed on the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1984. Companies including Allied-Signal, Ashland Oil, and South Point Ethanol operated there from the 1940s through the late 1990s, producing ammonia fertilizer, formaldehyde, ethanol, and other industrial chemicals. Three unlined landfills holding fly ash, plant refuse, coal cinders, and chemicals contributed to widespread contamination of both soil and groundwater.

EPA identified 23 contaminants of concern at the site. Soil contaminants include metals such as arsenic, antimony, barium, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, nickel, thallium, and vanadium, along with several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 1,1-dichloroethene. Groundwater contamination includes ammonia, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, copper, manganese, nickel, and nitrate.

Cleanup actions included excavating and removing contaminated soil to a licensed off-site landfill, placing an engineered cap over remaining waste to block rainwater infiltration, and pumping and treating groundwater before discharging it to the Ohio River. Construction of the remedy finished in 2001. Human exposure and groundwater migration are both currently under control. The site achieved sitewide ready for anticipated reuse status in September 2011. Operation and maintenance work under state oversight is estimated to continue through 2028. Institutional controls remain in place, with zoning restrictions preventing residential development and other incompatible uses. The site has not yet been deleted from the NPL.

Redevelopment has been a success story. EPA awarded the area a Superfund Redevelopment Initiative grant in 2002. The Point Business Park opened in 2001, and as of December 2024 it hosts 27 on-site businesses employing 617 people and generating approximately $125.9 million in annual sales revenue. Portions of the site are also leased for agriculture. Future plans include additional tenants and an intermodal transportation hub serving road, rail, and river transport.

EPA conducts five-year reviews to verify the cleanup continues to protect public health and the environment. The fifth such review is expected to be completed in early April 2026. Community members can submit comments about site conditions or concerns to EPA's Remedial Project Manager. For general community involvement questions, contact the Community Involvement Coordinator.