NAVASSA — Additional cleanup of the Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp Navassa Superfund site began Nov. 3 by the Environmental Protection Agency, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and partnered contractors. A community meeting is planned to inform the public about ongoing efforts.
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Slated to take place Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 5:30 p.m. at the Navassa Community Center and available to stream here, representatives from the EPA, NCDEQ and trust will discuss the upcoming plans for the decontamination and restoration plans.
The sites once belonged to Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp., which owned a wood-treating plant in Navassa. The chemical company was decommissioned and razed the facility in 1980, the same year that the Superfund program was created by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. The act created the Superfund program, which collected taxes from chemical and gasoline companies for the first 15 years and allowed for emergency responses and research support. It also made responsible parties take accountability for contaminating the environment.
The Navassa facility used creosote, a tar-like substance derived from coal and wood, as a pesticide and wood preservative — known for harmful health risks, primarily from inhalation leading to respiratory issues, but also skin and eye irritation and liver damage.
Cleanup and restoration at the Navassa Superfund Site has been a years-long effort. The Superfund site was first designated in 2010 after the EPA put Navassa on the National Priorities List — a catalogue of the most hazardous sites in the country eligible for federally-sponsored, long-term cleanups as a part of the Superfund program. The Superfund site is planned to become a Gullah Geechee Culture Center and Heritage Trail site.
The EPA split the site into five sections, also known as operable units. OU2, which is what is being cleaned up currently, is made up of 15.6 acres and used to be where the facility stored the wood.
Cleanup officially began in spring 2024, after studies were conducted and plans were made in 2022. The EPA also issued its proposal to address the northernmost part of operable unit 4 in September 2025, made up of 12 acres. It includes part of the former wood treating process space, part of the former untreated wood storage and an undeveloped space.
Cleanup on the OU2 project is expected to end in December — or within four to six weeks of the Nov. 3 start date. Contractors are in the process of surveying, clearing vegetation, and debris excavation and are expected to dig up contaminated soil and debris that had been previously discovered in 2024.
The Nov. 18 meeting is a drop-in session with representatives fielding questions. They’ll discuss updates on OU2 excavation of contaminated soil and debris, as well as the feasibility study for operable unit 3, including the marsh along Sturgeon Creek.
The proposed plan for cleanup of the 12-acre OU4 North portion of the 35-acre former pond and process area continues to accept public comments through Nov. 24 and contacts can be found here.
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