Abstract |
The Chemtronics site, an active waste disposal facility, is located in a rural area of Swannanoa, Buncombe County, North Carolina. The 1,027-acre site was developed as an industrial facility in 1952. Several companies operated the facility prior to its purchase by Chemtronics, Inc. in 1978. Waste disposal operations only occurred over approximately ten acres of the site. Existing records indicate the presence of twenty-three individual onsite disposal areas (DAs) which are grouped into six discrete areas. Disposal practices prior to 1971 were not well defined; however, solid waste materials and possibly solvents were incinerated in pits dug in an area. Additionally, chemical wastes were disposed of in trenches beside this burning ground. Waste materials generated in the production of the chemical warfare agent, and the tear gas agent were placed in 55-gallon drums with a neutralizing solution, and then buried onsite in trench-type landfills. The selected remedial action for the sites includes: multi-layer capping of sites and the acid pit area with fencing, placement of a vegetative cover over the cap, and installation of a gas collection ventilation system, if necessary; treatability studies for soils associated with one site DA-23 to determine the most appropriate soil fixation/stabilization/solidification process and mixing ratios followed by onsite capping. |