Celebrating Success: Del Monte Corp. (Oahu Plantation) Honolulu County, Hawaii &EPA Superfuncl Redevelopment Initiative "Our agreement with Campbell prevents exposure to the public from site contaminants and prohibits activities that may interfere with the cleanup " Keith Takata, EPA Region 9 Deputy Administrator. Oils of Aloha facilities, (source: http://hawaii.gov/ hdoa&dcysoq/companiesfoils-of-aloha) For more information, please contact Melissa Friedland at friedland.melissa@epa.gov or (703) 603-8864 or Frank Awisato at awisato.frank@.epa.gov or (703) 603-8949. The Del Monte Corporation Superfund site was formerly a 6,000- acre pineapple plantation located near Kunia Village in Honolulu County, Hawaii. The Del Monte Corporation grew and processed pineapple on the plantation from about 1946 to November 2006. As part of site operations, the Del Monte Corporation used pesticides to control pests that attack pineapple roots. An accidental 500-gallon pesticide spill occurred within about 60 feet of the Kunia drinking water supply well in 1977 The spill led to the discovery of sitewide contamination; years of improper pesticide storage and processing had resulted in contaminated soil and water. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1994. Remedial actions at the site included the removal of 18,000 tons of contaminated soil, phytoremediation of contaminated ground water, installation of a vegetated soil cap, and installation of an air stripper and carbon filtration system to address contaminated drinking water. Land use restrictions are in place to prevent activities that may interfere with ground water extraction, monitoring wells and the soil cap. The Del Monte Corporation leased the site from the James Campbell Company, the property owners, until the Oahu Plantation ceased operation in 2006. After the plantation closed, the James Campbell Company sold more than half of the land to Kunia Loa Ridge Farmlands, an organization that encourages affordable small-scale sustainable farms while reducing soil erosion and improving the quali ty and quanti ty of local water. The Kunia Loa Ridge Farmlands resells small plots to farmers who will grow tropical fruits and raise livestock. EPA delisted the 3,000-acre Puamoho portion of the Site in 2004 and this area houses additional reuse activities. Oils of Aloha moved its headquarters and manufacturing operations to a pre-existing 10,000-square-foot facility at the site in 2011. The company employs 20 people and manufactures lotions and beauty products. In 2007, an agricultural company purchased 2,300 acres of the former Oahu Plantation to produce seed corn The United States Army also purchased a portion of the site property to expand housing for Schofield Barracks Through successful collaboration between EPA, Del Monte Corporation and new landowners and tenants, remedial efforts and monitoring are able continue at the site while new reuses continue to provide amenities and economic opportunities for the community. September 2012 The carbon filter and air stripper on the site (source: EPA) An aerial view of Schofield Barracks. . (Source: http://www.globalsecurity.org/ military/facility/schofield-barracks.htm) ------- |