Cooper Drum Company operated a drum reconditioning facility on a 3.8-acre property in South Gate, California, from 1941 to 1992. Workers flushed, stripped, and hard-washed used steel drums, and the fluids from those processes collected in open concrete pits and trenches. That contaminated soil and groundwater beneath the site. The former Tweedy Elementary School sits directly south of the property. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List on June 14, 2001.
EPA has identified 31 contaminants of concern in soil and groundwater. These include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, and vinyl chloride. The site also contains polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) such as benzo(a)pyrene, dichloroethane and dichloroethene compounds, dichloropropane compounds, and lead in soil.
Cleanup is divided into three operable units covering site-wide activities, groundwater, and soil. Active remediation began in September 2010. A soil vapor extraction system has been running since February 2011. Dual-phase extraction wells started pulling contaminated water from a perched aquifer in April 2012, and main aquifer groundwater extraction began in August 2012. Additional wells and pipes were installed in 2015 to address a plume moving toward Southern Avenue. Early emergency actions included excavating contaminated soil at Tweedy Elementary School and paving the area in April 1987. The City of South Gate also closed four municipal wells that year due to contamination. Human exposure is currently under control, but contaminated groundwater is still moving and has not been stabilized. Physical construction is not yet complete across the entire site.
EPA completed its most recent five-year review in September 2021. A second five-year review is underway and the report is due by September 30, 2026. Federal law requires these reviews because hazardous waste remains onsite and cleanup will take more than five years. The review covers site inspections, cleanup technology performance, updated regulations, and coordination with stakeholders.
Community members can get involved through the Communities for Environmental Health Action Team (CEHAT), which includes EPA participation. CEHAT meets the second Monday of each month from 6 to 8 pm at the South Gate Civic Center Museum, 8680 California Ave, South Gate, CA 90280. Updates are also posted on the group's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CEHATSG. Site documents are available at EPA's Regional Records Center in San Francisco and at the Leland R. Weaver Library in South Gate.
