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| McColl Superfund Site | |
|---|---|
| Name | McColl Superfund Site |
| Location | Dade City, Florida; Pasco County, Florida |
| Coordinates | 28.2320°N 82.1579°W |
| Status | Superfund cleanup |
| Contaminants | volatile organic compounds, benzene, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, heavy metals |
| Responsible parties | McColl Manufacturing Company (former), Environmental Protection Agency |
McColl Superfund Site is a contaminated industrial location that became part of the United States Superfund program for hazardous waste remediation. The site involves prolonged chemical release episodes, multiple regulatory actions, litigation, and ongoing monitoring overseen by federal and state agencies. Cleanup has engaged local stakeholders, public health entities, and environmental organizations.
The site is situated near Dade City, Florida and within Pasco County, Florida, adjacent to residential neighborhoods, commercial corridors, and transportation routes including U.S. Route 98 (Florida) and local rail lines formerly served by CSX Transportation. The property was historically occupied by the McColl Manufacturing Company, an industrial firm that operated chemical processing and solvent-based operations in the mid-20th century. Ownership and operational history intersect with corporate entities such as regional affiliates of manufacturing conglomerates and chemical suppliers. Nearby municipal institutions include the Pasco County School District, local healthcare providers, and utilities regulated by the Florida Public Service Commission.
Solvent handling and disposal practices at the plant led to releases of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and petroleum hydrocarbons. Documented contaminants include benzene, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, and various chlorinated solvents historically associated with degreasing and dry-cleaning operations. Improper waste management and lagooning practices produced soil and groundwater plumes migrating toward municipal wells, private drinking-water supplies, and surface-water bodies linked to the Hillsborough River watershed. Investigations involved site assessments by the Environmental Protection Agency regional office and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, with fate-and-transport modeling referencing methods used by United States Geological Survey hydrologists and hazardous-waste specialists.
Contaminants identified at the site are associated with adverse outcomes documented in toxicology and epidemiology literature compiled by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Exposure pathways of concern included contaminated drinking water, soil vapor intrusion affecting buildings, and ecological risks to aquatic biota in nearby streams and wetlands designated under the Florida Department of Environmental Protection wetlands program. Public health officials from the Pasco County Health Department collaborated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state toxicologists to assess potential increased cancer risk, neurological effects, and hematopoietic damage linked to benzene and chlorinated solvent exposure.
Remediation strategy combined source removal, soil excavation, groundwater extraction and treatment, and monitored natural attenuation consistent with protocols from the Environmental Protection Agency Superfund remedial action framework. Technologies applied included pump-and-treat systems, air sparging coupled with soil vapor extraction, in-situ chemical oxidation informed by pilot studies used at other sites such as Love Canal and Times Beach, Missouri lessons, and institutional controls recorded in land-use covenants overseen by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Responsible party negotiations referenced precedents from litigation involving ExxonMobil and Dow Chemical Company on cost recovery for cleanup obligations.
The site designation and remedy selection followed Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act procedures administered by the Environmental Protection Agency. Enforcement actions included consent decrees and administrative orders negotiated with former operators, invoking liability doctrines established in cases argued before the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and guidance from the Department of Justice. Regulatory coordination involved the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service when habitat impacts were evaluated, and compliance monitoring by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration during remedial construction.
Local civic organizations, neighborhood associations, and faith-based groups mobilized to demand transparency and mitigation, engaging with representatives from Pasco County Board of County Commissioners and state legislators from Florida Senate and Florida House of Representatives districts serving the area. Public meetings were attended by staff from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, which coordinated health advisories and blood-testing programs. Remediation plans incorporated community involvement plans modeled on practices used in Love Canal outreach, and nongovernmental organizations such as Sierra Club local chapters and regional public-interest law clinics provided advocacy and technical review.
Ongoing monitoring includes periodic groundwater sampling, vapor intrusion screening, and institutional control enforcement, with data reported to the Environmental Protection Agency site file and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Long-term stewardship responsibilities are shared among site owners, local authorities, and federal agencies, and adaptive management plans reference monitoring frameworks employed by the United States Geological Survey and the Environmental Protection Agency for contaminated aquifers. The site remains subject to Five-Year Review processes mandated under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act to evaluate protectiveness of implemented remedies.
Category:Superfund sites in Florida Category:Pasco County, Florida