June 07, 1995

FMC Corp. a former owner-operator at the Avtex site, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region III will soon begin the second phase of studies to look at the nature and extent of contamination on and off site of the former rayon producing facility.

The corporation based in Chicago and the agency's region III office in Philadelphia recently collaborated on the first phase of cleanup studies, which were recently completed. The second phase of studies will begin this summer.

In the second phase, FMC will study on-site soils, ground water, surface impoundments and lagoons where liquid viscose waste was stored.

EPA will conduct off-site soil studies, and studies of contamination in the buildings, the river and do tissue analysis of fish to study the effects of unknown quantities of PCBs which spilled into the Shenandoah River.

FMC produced polyester fibers in addition to rayon when it owned the site from 1970 to 1976; a relatively brief period in Avtex's history dating back to 1940. The plant shut down in November 1989 and in 1990, bankruptcy was filed by Avtex Fibers Inc., and Avtex Fibers-Front Royal, Inc., collectively known as Avtex.

The EPA identified FMC and Avtex as potentially responsible parties to finance and perform cleanup studies, and then the actual cleanup.

While both Avtex and FMC agreed to comply, Avtex subsequently notified EPA of its alleged inability to comply with the EPA order due to the shutdown of operations and lack of financial viability. As a result, FMC has been left as the major corporate player in the cleanup effort thus far.

Avtex has been on the Superfund list of the nation's worst toxic waste sites for the last nine years. The former rayon manufacturing facility was located on a 440-acre site on the east bank of the Shenandoah River.

The factory opened as American Viscose in 1940. It was sold to FMC Corp. in 1963 and became Avtex Fibers Inc. in 1976. Avtex operated the plant until its state-ordered shutdown on Nov. 10, 1989.

According to the EPA, Avtex's troubles with the state began in 1982, when carbon disulfide, a plant waste product, was identified in ground water samples taken from residential wells in the Rivermont Acres subdivision, located across the river from the Avtex facility.

In 1984, the Avtex plant was nominated for EPA's Superfund list, and in 1986 it was officially added to the list.

In early 1989, the Virginia Water Control Board discovered high levels of PCBs, a cancer-causing chemical, in fish living downstream of the Avtex plant. Investigations over several months pinpointed the rayon plant as the site of the pollution.

On Nov. 10, 1989, the Commonwealth of Virginia revoked the Avtex Fibers National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, after studies proved that PCBs were seeping into Avtex soil and spilling into the river. The plant shut down the same day.

On Nov, 11, 1989, the EPA Region Ill Office in Philadelphia declared an emergency situation under the federal Superfund statue, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, and took over the site.

At the time of Avtex's shutdown, EPA officials found on-site approximately 370 tons of carbon disulfide, 1,500 tons of sulfuric acid, 1,100 tons of sodium hydroxide, 54,000 pounds of dimethylamine, 72,000 pounds of phenol and unknown quantities of PCBs, according to an EPA order.

Since then, the site has been mired in emergency waste removal and studies to assess the type and extent of contamination.

The site could take over a decade or more to be fully cleaned, said Andy Palestini, remedial project manager for the site in EPA Region III.

Asked exactly how many years it could take, he said "If I knew that, I'd be head of EPA. How long? Years and years."

So far, EPA has spent more than $24 million in studies and emergency removal of hazardous materials, Palestini said.

In addition, FMC has spent millions on cleanup efforts, according to Bob Fields, vice president of environment, health and safety for FMC.

FMC and EPA collaborated on the first phase of cleanup studies, which were recently completed. The second phase will begin this summer, he added.

EPA will conduct off-site soil studies, and studies of contamination in buildings, the river, and tissue analysis of fish, Palestini said.