United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5502G)
EPA 520-F-92-005
Fall 1992
&EPA Superfund At Work
Hazardous Waste Cleanup Efforts Nationwide
Celanese Corporation
Site Profile
Site Description:
An active polyestei
located in Cleveland County, North .
Primary Contaminants: •
Volatile organic compounds (ethylene
trichtoroethene), heavy metals.
(chromium, arsenic, lead)
Potential Range of Health Risks
Without EPA Cleanup:
Potential for cancer or leukemia
through long-term contact with
contaminated soil or ground water
Nearby Population Affected:
three mHes of the site
Ecological Concerns:
Year Listed on NPL: 1986
State: North Carolina
Congressional District: 10
Cleanup crew loads contaminated soil into incinerator. Safer than
land disposal, incineration can destroy or permanently neutralize up to
99.99% of the toxic materials.
Success In Brief
EPA and Polluter Work Together
to Clean Superfund Site in
North Carolina
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Superfund
program has reached some major milestones at a hazardous waste site
in Shelby, North Carolina. The site's success is underscored by the fact
that the polluter, Hoechst-Celanese Corporation, took the initiative to
perform the cleanup of the hazardous waste found on their property.
Some highlights of the cleanup include:
• EPA negotiated a settlement in which Celanese would perform the
cleanup of contaminated ground water, soil, creek sediments, and
sludge at the site. This settlement is valued at approximately
$6 million;
• EPA employed a multi-method approach for a comprehensive
cleanup, including the use of an innovative technology, biological
treatment;
• EPA and Celanese worked closely to clean the site and took action
to control contaminants from migrating into nearby
streambeds and residential wells; and
• EPA significantly reduced potential health risks by providing local
residents with an alternate water supply.
The Site Today
The source of contamination has
been cleaned up at the Celanese
site, effectively reducing the risk to
public health and the environment.
Soil decontamination has been
quick and effective — taking only
seven months to safely incinerate a
huge volume of contaminated
sludge and soil. The treated area.
has been regraded and seeded for
grass, and the incinerator is being
dismantled. Ground water
treatment is ongoing, and
monitoring activities continue to
ensure that no contamination
migrates away from the site.
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Superfund At Work • Celanese Shelby Fiber Operation, Shelby, NC • Fall 1992
The Celanese hazardous
waste site is an active 469-acre
polyester production facility in
a rural area of Cleveland
County, North Carolina. The
plant combined synthetic
chemicals to manufacture
polyester chips, typewriter key
caps, automotive components,
and filament threads used in
fabric for apparel, home fur-
nishings, and industrial prod-
ucts. The site's facilities and
land-use areas include the
plant, wastewater treatment
area, and adjacent recre-
ational and wooded areas.
For several years after the
plant began operation in 1960,
chemical wastes were dis-
posed directly into a drainage
ditch, until the company
installed a wastewater treat-
A Site Snapshot
ment plant. During the 1960s,
other production waste was
burned in open outdoor pits,
and sludge was buried in
trenches. The ground water,
soil, and sediment at the site
were contaminated from various
other waste disposal areas,
including an
area ,
which *-
trichloro-ethane, and heavy
metals including chromium,
arsenic and lead. 3,000 people
live within a three mile radius
of the site, which is mostly
forest and farm land. Potential
health effects from direct
exposure to these
was used to store 2,000 to
3,000 drums. The resulting
pollutants contaminating the site
are volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) including ethylene
glycol and phthalates, benzene,
pollut-
ants include
an increased
risk of cancer or leukemia
through long-term contact with
contaminated soil.
Celanese Shelby
Improper disposal, burning, and burial of
wastes and sludge
Contamination of ground water,
sorl, and sediment
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Superfund At Work • Celanese Shelby Fiber Operation, Shelby, NC • Fall 1992
Lack of Knowledge Leads to
Improper Waste Disposal
Celanese Corporation began
producing polyester resin and
filament yarn in 1960, without an
awareness of proper hazardous
waste management. These routine
waste disposal practices resulted in
the company spending almost $6
million to clean up extensive
ground water and soil contamina-
tion.
Several areas around the plant
were used to dispose of production
waste. In the 1960s, polyester and
miscellaneous trash were burned in
trenches. From 1970-1978,2,000 to
3,000 drums of waste chemicals
and solvents were temporarily
stored near the former burn pits.
In the late 1970s, as knowledge
of the problem of hazardous waste
management grew, Celanese Fibers
Operation began efforts to rectify
problems caused by improper
waste disposal. In 1978, Celanese
removed all drums from the area
and sent them to outside disposal
facilities. By October 1981, concern
about potential ground water
contamination prompted Celanese
to install 23 monitoring wells and
to further investigate the site. The
shallow ground water was discov-
ered to be contaminated with
organic compounds, but there was
no indication that contaminants
were migrating off-site. When
these toxins were found at the
site in 1983, Celanese promptly
notified EPA.
In October 1984, Celanese
agreed to conduct a preliminary
investigation at the site to evaluate
the extent of contamination, and
possible cleanup alternatives. By
August 1985 the preliminary study
was complete, and the need for
remedial work clearly established.
In October 1985, in a continuing
effort to address public concerns,
Celanese conducted tours for the
public of the site's wastewater
treatment facilities, the sludge
burial sites, and the ground water
monitoring well network. Follow-
ing the tours, the company spon-
sored an informal public meeting
to answer any questions a local
citizen's group had about the site's
history and the cleanup process.
To respond to public concerns,
EPA also took several actions,
including:
• Working with the state to
provide sampling and analy-
sis of private well drinking
water;
• Holding public hearings and
regularly disseminating
information throughout the
duration of cleanup; and
• Placing information on
cleanup activities in two local
repositories.
Page 3
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Superfund At Work
Celanese Shelby Fiber Operation, Shelby, NC • Fall 1992
Cleans- Site and Addresses Community Concerns
In February 1986, Celanese
signed an agreement with EPA to
begin investigating the nature and
extent of site contamination. The
company sampled existing wells
and some off-site residential
wells, conducted soil sampling,
and installed additional monitor-
ing wells. Seven residential wells
were found to be contaminated;
these residents were provided
with an alternate water supply.
The cleanup process continued
and, under two additional agree-
ments signed with EPA, Celanese
agreed to perform cleanup of
contaminated ground water,
sludge, stream sediment, and soil,
as well as reimburse EPA for past
costs associated with cleanup.
Under the first agreement, signed
in September 1988, Celanese
agreed to clean up contaminated
ground water with a multi-
method approach:
• Ground water was treated
with an innovative technol-
ogy in which microorgan-
isms (bacteria) consume
some of the contaminants as
food, breaking them down
into harmless compounds;
• Ground water was then
treated by a technology
called "air stripping"
whereby air was forced
through the water,
evaporating some major
contaminants;
• For the remaining hazard-
ous chemicals, the ground
water was pumped through
a "carbon adsorption"
filtration system that re-
moved the contaminants.
The ground water cleanup
system became operational in
August 1989, and the system
continues to be monitored to
ensure that EPA's target goals for
contaminants are met. The esti-
mated value of the ground water
cleanup, including operation and
maintenance costs, is $2.03 million.
In June 1989, Celanese signed a
second agreement with EPA to
clean up soil and sediments. The
Celanese plan for this phase called
for excavating and incinerating an
estimated 1,800 cubic yards of
sludge. The incineration process
was temporary, taking only seven
"Communication
between EPA, Celanese,
and the community
demonstrates the
effectiveness of the
Superfund program
in action.''
- states one Shelby resident.
months, from May to December
1991, and was conducted on-site
with a mobile kiln. At the begin-
ning of the incineration process, a
"trial burn" was conducted by
EPA and Celanese to carefully
monitor air emissions and ensure
the steam from the incinerator
met North Carolina's air emis-
sions standards. Following
incineration of the sludge, the ash
was solidified in cement along
with an estimated 1,200 cubic
yards of burn pit waste and 600
cubic yards of plastic chips and
sediment. The process of on-site
incineration offered the added
benefit of reducing transportation
costs and eliminating possible
chemical releases from transpor-
tation mishaps.
Concerned Community
Gets Involved
Local town residents con-
cerned with the potential hazards
of ground water contamination,
formed a coalition called United
Neighbors for Cleanup (UNO, to
represent the 3,000 people whose
drinking water could be affected
by contamination. In 1984, along
with the Clean Water Fund and
EPA, the UNC sponsored a public
hearing to discuss the issues of
ground water contamination.
UNC members were pleased
and encouraged by Celanese's
cleanup initiatives. One UNC
representative and former em-
ployee at the Celanese plant said,
"We feel lucky that Celanese took
the initiative" to clean up the site
with EPA. The community's
involvement and Celanese's
responsiveness demonstrate the
effectiveness of the Superfund
program in action.
Public Concern over the
Use of Incinerators
Residents of the surrounding
community voiced concerns over
use of an on-site incinerator. At a
public meeting, citizens of the
Earl/Shelby area expressed the
need for reassurance that air
emissions from the incinerator
would be safe. They knew that
the stringency standards for air
emissions in the State of North
Carolina were lower than federal
standards.
EPA assured the community
that the incinerator would be
continued on page 6
Page 4
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Superfund At Work
Celanese Shelby Fiber Operation, Shelby, NC
Fall 1992
What is Incineration?
Incineration is the burning of
substances by controlled flame
in an enclosed compartment.
This process (1) detoxifies haz-
ardous wastes by destroying
organic compounds contained in
the wastes, (2) reduces the
volume of the wastes, and (3)
converts wastes to solids by
vaporizing water and other
liquids the wastes may contain.
Organic compounds (composed
of carbon, hydrogen, and some-
times other elements) burn over
a broad range of temperatures.
Wood, oil, and coal, for example,
are all composed of organic
compounds that burn at rela-
tively low temperatures. Some
organic compounds, including
those found in certain hazardous
wastes, burn less readily and
must be subjected to higher
temperatures before they burn.
A hotter fire also burns more
completely than a cooler one. As
a consequence, hazardous waste
incinerators must maintain
extremely high temperatures
(typically ranging
from 1800°F
to2500°F)to
ensure that
virtually all
organic compounds
in the wastes are
destroyed.
Incineration's
main advantage is
that it destroys a
significant por-
tion (under
closely monitored
conditions,
commonly to
99.99 percent) of
the toxic quanti-
ties of hazardous waste. It per-
manently reduces risks by de-
stroying or reducing the hazard-
ous character of the material, and
is thus safer than long-term
disposal on land.
Incineration has been used in
the U.S. and Europe for many
years. As of 1987, there were
over 200 hazardous waste incin-
erators operating in the U.S.
Most of these incinerators are
used by companies for their own
wastes; the remainder incinerate
wastes on a contractual basis.
Today, incineration is also play-
ing an important role in the
cleanup of many Superfund
sites, where it is used for con-
taminated soils and other
wastes removed from the site.
EPA believes that greater
quantities of hazardous
wastes will be incinerated
in the coming years.
Hazardous Waste
Incineration: Why is
it Important?
EPA expects that increased
use of hazardous waste incinera-
tion will help eliminate the
environmental problems caused
by the mismanagement of
hazardous waste. EPA research
and independently prepared
reports have concluded that
hazardous waste incineration is
safe and effective, in many cases,
preferable to land disposal. In
the Hazardous and Solid Waste
Amendments (HSWA) of 1984,
Congress enacted a ban on the
land disposal of untreated
hazardous wastes. EPA believes
that incineration will play a
major role in providing a
treatment alternative to
land disposal.
Schematic drawing of a
Rotary Kiln Incinerator
Stack emissions
r
t
Combustion Chamber
—>
1
Quench Chamber
. cools gases »
Secondary Combustion
Chamber
--*•
J
Ash
Waste Disposal
Air Pollution Control
devices remove acid
gases and participates
Fan maintains
proper pressure
and draw rate
Page 5
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Superfund At Work • Celanese Shelby Fiber Operation, Shelby, NC • Fall 1992
Celanese Cleans Site
continued from page 4
subject to a range of oversight
controls, particularly trial testing.
The "trial burn" phase lasted
from spring to early summer in
1991, with positive results: all of
the state and federal air quality
standards were met.
Celanese completed the incin-
eration in December 1991. EPA
maintained daily oversight to
ensure that state and federal air
emission standards were being
met until completion of the
process.
Throughout the second phase
of cleanup, Celanese solidified the
incinerator ash, plastic chips,
burn-pit materials and sedi-
ment remains. These wastes
were mixed with agents such as
cement, to immobilize the
waste and limit any movement
of contaminants to soil and
ground water. The solidifica-
tion process was followed by
on-site disposal of contained,
solidified material into the on-
site pits/trenches. The pits/
trenches were covered over and
Celanese finished regrading
and filling the excavated area in
early May, 1992. This phase of
the cleanup cost an estimated
$3.5 million.
Success at
Celanese
EPA's Superfund program
succeeded in gaining the
Celanese Corporation's full
participation during the innova-
tive cleanup at the Shelby, North
Carolina plant. Both Celanese
and EPA have worked closely
with the surrounding commu-
nity to address local concerns
about drinking water and incin-
eration, while working coopera-
tively to permanently address
the source of contamination.
Thanks to Superfund enforce-
ment and corporate initiative,
Shelby residents once again have
access to safe drinking water and
a clean environment.
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content, length or format, please call (703) 603-8984, or send a letter to
Superfund At Work (5502G), 401 M Street SW, Washington, DC 20460
For additional copies of this or other Superfund At Work updates, contact the
National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, 5285
Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161, telephone (703) 487-4650.
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