Woolfolk Chemical Superfund Site in Fort Valley, GA

Rhonda Drake, MPHWalden University

PUBH 6165-7Dr. Rebecca Heick

Spring 2009

Figure 1: Welcome Sign in Fort Valley, GA

Increase awareness of how dumping chemicals into the environment can affect an entire community

Educate K-12 students on the health hazards that can result from dumping chemicals into the environment

Fort Valley, Ga. lies about 90 miles south of Atlanta in a productive agricultural region.

It is referred to as the Peach Capital of Georgia due to the number of peaches grown here

Figure 2: Map of Fort Valley, GA used with permission from Peach Public Library

Figures 3 & 4: Peaches and Peach Cobbler Reproduced with permission from Peach Public Library

Birthplace to the Blue Bird Body Company, the world's leading bus manufacturers

Figure 5: Bus manufacturing Reproduced with permission from Peach PublicLibrary

In 1910 theWoolfolk Chemical Company began as a lime-sulfur plant

It later evolved into a full-line pesticide plant in the 1920’s

Pesticides were made in liquid, dust, and granular formsSold to agricultural, lawn, and garden marketsArsenic trichloride (a key ingredient of poison gas) used during WWII was also produced

1926 – 1941 J. W. Woolfolk Company (owned and operated)

1941 – 1972 Woolfolk Works, Ltd.

1972 Reorganized in Woolfolk Chemical, Inc.

1973 Reichold Limited acquired all stock

1984 Name changed to Canadyne Georgia Corporation

1984 Facilities sold to Peach County Properties, Inc.

1984 Leased most property to its affiliate, Sure Pack, Inc.

1985 Another portion of Property leased to Georgia Ag. Chemicals

Marion Allen Insurance Corporation purchase a parcel

Currently SurePack, Inc now operates the pesticide plant

During a routine inspection of the facility by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division in the early 1980s it was found that chemicals used in pesticide production had seeped from the plant into the surrounding soil and groundwater

Confirmed metals and pesticides

Lead

Arsenic

Chlordane

DDT

Lindane

Toxaphene

Figure 6: Woolfolk Chemical Site

Figure 7: Signs from the Woolfolk Chemical Site used with permission from Dr. Jacques Surrency, FVSU Soil Science Professor

The sources of contamination were through sewer/surface water discharge, spills (either inadvertently or advertently), and the manufacturing process

Fort Valley has 5 municipal water supply wells which is the sole source of water supply and 3 of them are within 1,000 feet of the Woolfolk site

In the late 1990’s 2 of the wells were closed and a groundwater pump and treatment system was installed and is currently operational and functional

Figure 8: Woolfolk Chemical Site

Figure 9: The Woolfolk Chemical Site used with permission from Dr. Jacques Surrency, FVSU Soil Science Professor

On-Site it was found that the arsenic levels in the soil ranged from 5 mg/Kg-1 to 18,700 mg/kg-1

Off-Site areas which extended approximately 3 to 4 blocks into surrounding residential and commercial properties it was found that arsenic levels in the soil of residential backyards ranged from 2 mg/kg-1 to 180 mg/kg-1

Since 1992, extensive on-site and off-site removal/remediation has been underway by EPA. Figure 10: Residential Areas from the Woolfolk Chemical Site

Figure 11: Woolfolk Chemical Site

Residential soil arsenic levels are being remediated to 30 mg/kg-1 soil.

On- and off-site primarily in theOn- and off-site primarily in theAfrican American NeighborhoodsAfrican American Neighborhoods

Figure 12: Woolfolk Chemical Site used with permission from Dr. Jacques Surrency, FVSU Soil Science Professor

Figure 13 The Troutman House in Fort Valley Reproduced with permission from Peach Public Library

15,000 sq. ft library has 9 full time employees and various seasonal workers

Figure 14: Thomas Public Library (Peach Public Library)

Dr. Jacques Surrency, a Soil Science Professor at Fort Valley State University along with other colleagues are currently involved in taking soil and surface samples within a ½-3 mile radius of the Woolfolk site to check for arsenic and lead levels

In conclusion, work on the Woolfolk Chemical site is currently underway and on-going.

Fort Valley has just learned that it will receive 5 million dollars in stimulus money to be used in possibly completeing the clean up of the Woolfolk site which has already taken 12 years

Even though there are ongoing efforts in cleaning up the Woolfolk site it still remains the most contaminated site in the country

Bennett, Jimmy (2006) “City History” Retrieved on March 10, 2009 from http://www.fortvalleyusa.com/history.cfm

  Georgia Hometown Locator (2009) “Georgia Population Estimates” Retrieved on March

20, 2009 from http://georgia.hometownlocator.com/census/estimates/cities.cfm  “Location” (2006) Retrieved on March 10, 2009 from

http://www.fortvalleyusa.com/history.cfm  U. S. Environmental Protection Agency-National Priorities List (2007) “NPL Site Narrative

for Woolfolk Chemical Works, Inc,” Retrieved on March 15, 2009 from http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/nar442.htm

  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-Region 4 Superfund (2007) “Woolfolk Chemical

Works Inc.” Retrieved on March 15, 2009 from http://www.epa.gov/Region4/waste/npl/nplga/wolfokga.htm

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-Superfund Redevelopment (2009) “Woolfolk Chemical Plant Case Study” Retrieved on March 15, 2009 from http://earth1.epa.gov/superfund/programs/recycle/live/casestudy_woolfolk.html