WestPoint Homes

The former WestPoint Homes property originally consisted of approximately 384 acres located at 679 Edinburgh Way in Seneca, South Carolina. Beginning in 1951, J.P. Stevens Company operated a  textile production facility on the site with a greige mill, a dyeing and finishing plant, and a fabricating plant. Facility operations included the production of cloth fabric from cotton and polyester fibers, dyeing and printing of the cloth, finishing the cloth, and fabricating bedding from the finished cloth fabrics. The facility closed in 2006.   

Approximately 191.7 acres of the site have been subdivided for ongoing redevelopment.  It is  surrounded by a wooded area, mixed-use apartment housing for students, and a residential housing development.  An independently-owned wastewater treatment plant is located on a 7.6-acre parcel surrounded by the site. 

Soil and Groundwater Contamination 

Soil and groundwater contamination has been confirmed at the site, with assessment of the site occurring from 2005 until 2015. Since 2006, soil contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has been removed from the former tank area and monitoring wells have been installed to determine the extent of groundwater contamination. Cleanup efforts are focused on approximately 16 acres that have confirmed VOCs in the groundwater above drinking water standards established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 

Historical releases of VOC contamination at the site occurred from the following four source areas: 

  • Underground  process sewer line near the former electrical switchyard area. 
  • Underground process sewer line underlying the southern end of the former manufacturing building. 
  • Aboveground tank and underground storage tanks (UST) located near the southern end of the manufacturing building. 
  • UST located at the southwest end of the former manufacturing building. 

A pilot study of in-situ (ground) injections of Anaerobic BioChem Plus (ABC+) to reduce the VOC plume was conducted at the site between June 2016 and March 2017. The pilot study was used to evaluate the ability to deliver treatment chemicals at appropriate depths in the aquifer. Data from the pilot study indicated a reduction of the plume. An expanded pilot study of 80 ABC+ ground injections was conducted at the site between May and July 2019, with final monitoring in March 2021. Data from the expanded pilot study indicated significant reductions in tetrachloroethylene (PCE) concentrations throughout the treatment area. 

Remedial/Cleanup Alternatives 

Remedial/Cleanup alternatives are designed for protection of human health and the environment. The goals should be as specific as possible but should not unduly limit the range of remedial alternatives that can be developed. The objective for remediation at the WestPoint Homes site is to reduce the amount of chemicals of concern (COCs) in the groundwater and the potential for off-site migration to adjacent surface water bodies, specifically: 

  • Reduce the potential for soil leaching to groundwater. 
  • Reduce source area groundwater impacts to further mitigate/control impacts to downgradient groundwater and streams. 
  • Restore groundwater to maximum contaminant levels (MCLs). 
  • Reduce the risk of vapor intrusion of contaminants from groundwater to indoor air. 

Proposed Plan 

DHEC has completed an evaluation of the remedial alternatives to address soil and groundwater contamination at the WestPoint Homes site. The Proposed Plan includes DHEC’s preferred alternative for cleanup and provides the reasoning for this preference. The proposed plan includes summaries of all cleanup alternatives evaluated by DHEC. These alternatives were chosen based on information gathered during environmental investigations conducted at the site since 2005.    

The purpose of the Proposed Plan is to outline environmental activities conducted at the site for public comment in accordance with the requirements of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (National Contingency Plan or NCP). The Proposed Plan summarizes information that can be found in greater detail in the revised Focused Feasibility Study (December 2021) and other documents contained in the DHEC’s Administrative Record. DHEC encourages interested persons to review the Administrative Record to learn more about the site and the environmental activities that have been completed.    

DHEC’s Preferred Cleanup Alternative   

DHEC has identified ABC+ Treatment (Alternative 5) as the preferred alternative to address soil and groundwater contamination at the WestPoint Homes site, as well as the most protective of public health and the environment. This alternative was evaluated extensively at the site through two pilot studies and demonstrated a reduction of VOC concentrations in the shallow and intermediate aquifer zones.  

Implementation of this alternative would begin with an initial ABC+ treatment event during the first year, followed by an extended period of monitoring to observe and document the effectiveness of the applied treatment.  Additional targeted ABC+ treatment events would occur during years 4 and 7 to address residual areas of COCs.  Annual groundwater monitoring would be conducted at the site to monitor the progress of treatment. This alternative has an estimated 15-year timeframe for completion and a total estimated cost of $1,793,000.   

DHEC will select a final cleanup alternative after review and consideration of all comments submitted through July 21, 2022. DHEC may modify the preferred alternative or select an alternate remedy based on public comments or new information. 

DHEC’s Administrative Record 

The Administrative Record (AR) includes historic and recent documents used by DHEC in its oversight rose. This information can be found at the Seneca Library, 300 E South 2nd Street, Seneca, SC. The Proposed Plan and AR documents, many of which are duplicated below, can also be found here.  

Additional Documents: 

Additional Information 

For additional information or questions about the WestPoint Homes site, please contact: 

Kim Kuhn, Project Manager 
Email: kuhnkm@dhec.sc.gov 
Phone: (803) 898-0722 

Public Meeting 

DHEC held an informal public meeting on June 21, 2022, at 6:30 pm to discuss cleanup of groundwater contamination at the WestPoint Homes Site. The public meeting will be held at the Madren Conference Center, 230 Madren Center Drive in Clemson, SC.