ATLANTA (August 1, 2017) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, August 8, 2017 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Bethany Elementary School located in Clover, SC to provide an update on the cleanup work that is complete and activities scheduled.
EPA and South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SDHEC) representatives will be available to discuss the on-going and future activities at the Site.
WHO: EPA
WHAT: Public Meeting
WHEN: Tuesday, August 8, 2017
WHERE: Bethany Elementary School
337 Maynard Grayson Road
Clover, SC 29710
The 185-acre Henry’s Knob Site is located at the corner of Henry Knob Road and State Highway 55 in Clover Township, York County, South Carolina. The Site was deeded to York County in 1974 and was used as a park for several years. York County sold the property in 1982, and the Site has been privately owned since that time.
The Henry’s Knob Site was an open pit kyanite mine that operated from 1947 to 1970. Kyanite is primarily used in producing refractory, ceramic and porcelain materials that withstand high temperatures. Mining activities included crushing/grinding rock and then recovering kyanite from the crushed ore. Waste rock and tailings that remained from these processes contained elevated levels of metals, including manganese and cobalt. These elements are common in groundwater throughout this area of the Carolinas, but acid generation from mining ore rich in sulfur (pyrite) likely contributed to higher levels due to increased leaching of metals into groundwater.
The Superfund program is a cornerstone of the work that the EPA performs for citizens and communities across the country. On July 25, 2017 Administrator Scott Pruitt accepted recommendations from the task force established on May 22, 2017 to revitalize the Superfund program.
The task force’s recommendations focused on five overarching goals: expediting cleanup and remediation, reinvigorating cleanup and reuse efforts by potentially responsible parties, encouraging private investment to facilitate cleanup and reuse, promoting redevelopment and community revitalization and engaging with partners and stakeholders. Work to prioritize and reinvigorate the program by the task force has been initiated and will be ongoing into the future.
For more information, contact EPA Community Involvement Coordinator Kerisa Coleman (404) 562-8831 or (877) 718-3752 or by email to Coleman.Kerisa@epa.gov, or EPA Remedial Project Manager Jeffery Crowley (404) 562-9587 or by email to Crowley.Jeffery@epa.gov.
Connect with EPA Region 4 on Facebook: www.facebook.com/eparegion4
And on Twitter: @USEPASoutheast
###