ORLANDO, Fla. (October 11, 2023) — Tomorrow, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials will hold an event to highlight work performed under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law at the Tower Chemical Site in Clermont, Fla. located at 14151 County Road 455 (Montverde Road).
The Tower Chemical Site was selected to receive funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to allow for a cleanup suitable for reuse and redevelopment once the Superfund cleanup is complete.
WHO: EPA
WHAT: Press Event
WHEN: Thursday, October 12, 2023, 9a.m. to 10a.m. ET
WHERE: 14151 County Road. 455 (Montverde Road)
Clermont, Fla. 34711
BIL Funding is allowing EPA to address the contaminated groundwater under the Tower Chemical Company Site by solidifying and stabilizing the subsurface down to 70 feet to lock the contamination in place and restore the aquifer to beneficial use as drinking water. The 16-acre Tower Chemical Company Superfund site is located about 5-miles east of Clermont, Florida. From 1957 to 1980, Tower Chemical Company operated a manufacturing facility on site. The facility’s waste disposal practices left contamination on site.
Although groundwater at the site is contaminated, site contamination does not currently threaten people living and working near the site. In previous actions, EPA has removed contaminated soil and sediments, monitored and sampled contaminated groundwater, and conducted Five-Year Reviews. Due to these actions, the Tower Chemical Company site was able to go back into commercial reuse. The new owner of the property uses it as a storage facility for recreational vehicles, boats, trailers and other vehicles. EPA also had water lines connected to eight residences next to the site to the public water supply. EPA and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) continue to protect people and the environment from site contamination with monitoring and institutional controls.
Background
EPA placed the site on the Superfund program’s National Priorities List (NPL) of contaminated sites in 1983 because of contaminated soil, sediment, surface water and groundwater resulting from the facility’s waste and wastewater disposal practices.
In 1983 EPA and FDEP completed an emergency short-term cleanup to stop an immediate threat to people and the environment. EPA removed and treated about one million gallons of contaminated water from the wastewater pond. EPA dug up and disposed of 3,800 cubic yards of contaminated soil and sediment and 72 drums of other hazardous waste from the pond and burn and burial pit area. Over the next several years, EPA took multiple other actions on site and at residences with impacted wells. The site’s long-term remedy for OU-1, included treating contaminated soil and installing a groundwater pump-and treat system. However, the pump-and-treat system was determined not be effective and was not implemented. A second short-term cleanup addressed contaminated storage tanks, concrete pads and underlying contaminated soils.
In 2003, EPA installed filters on six nearby residential wells. In 2010, EPA connected eight residences to the public water system. In 2011 EPA dug up contaminated soil in the site’s affected wetland areas, placed clean fill in these areas and replanted vegetation. EPA dug up and disposed of 45,000 additional cubic yards of contaminated soil and sediment. EPA also removed deeper contaminated soil and debris. The 2013 Five-Year Review concluded the site’s remedy remained protective of human health and the environment in the short term while the groundwater remedy is completed. In 2018, the remedy was determined to be expected to be protective of human health and the environment upon completion. In the interim, remedial activities completed to date have adequately addressed all current exposure pathways that could result in unacceptable risks, as contaminated surface soils and selected subsurface soils have been removed to 12 feet and all the affected residences have been connected to the public water supply.
EPA has completed several treatability and pilot studies over the past years as it continued to evaluate the best approach for site groundwater cleanup. EPA completed an interim action ROD amendment for OU-3 in the Fall of 2019 that included in-situ solidification/stabilization (ISS) of contaminated soil down to a depth of 70 feet. A Remedial Design was finalized based on the ISS remedy selected in the ROD. BIL funding provided in 2022 is allowing the remediation of the contaminated groundwater to work towards restoring the aquifer for future generations use as drinking water. In order to prepare the site for the ISS, EPA has demolished a remaining building foundation and canopy. The canopy was recycled for the steel and the foundation and underlying soils were disposed of at an offsite landfill.
At this site, activity and use limitations that EPA calls institutional controls are also in place as part of the protective measures.
Press/Media: please email region4press@epa.gov to confirm your participation.
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