Woolfolk Chemical Superfund Site in Fort Valley, GA

Woolfolk Chemical Superfund Site in Fort Valley, GA Rhonda Drake, MPH Walden University PUBH 6165-7 Dr. Rebecca Heick Spring 2009 Figure 1: Welcome Sign in Fort Valley, GA

Goals • 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

Location • 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

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

Facts About Fort Valley • Birthplace to the Blue Bird Body Company, the world's leading bus manufacturers Figure 5: Bus manufacturing Reproduced with permission from Peach Public Library

Woolfolk Chemical Works Inc. History • 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 forms • Sold to agricultural, lawn, and garden markets • Arsenic trichloride (a key ingredient of poison gas) used during WWII was also produced

Shifting Power 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

History of the Government’s Involvement • 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

Widespread contamination • 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

Arsenic in Soil • 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

The Current Status Figure 11: Woolfolk Chemical Site

EPA continuing soil remediation efforts • Residential soil arsenic levels are being remediated to 30 mg/kg-1 soil. On- and off-site primarily in theAfrican American Neighborhoods Figure 12: Woolfolk Chemical Site used with permission from Dr. Jacques Surrency, FVSU Soil Science Professor

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

Thomas Public Library • 15,000 sq. ft library has 9 full time employees and various seasonal workers Figure 14: Thomas Public Library (Peach Public Library)

Research • 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

Conclusion • 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

References • 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

Woolfolk Chemical Superfund Site in Fort Valley, GA