Hazardous Substance Research Centers/South & Southwest

Site description

The Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex facility consists of a single manufacturing building on a 20-acre site. From 1963 to 1982 the facility primarily manufactured chrome-plated electric irons. Operations included aluminum sole plate die casting, thermoset molding, thermoplastic molding, cord extrusion, and an electroplating process that applied a nickel coating to the iron housing followed by a chrome finish. These operations resulted in the contamination of soil, surface water, and groundwater on the site.

Organization requesting assistance

Moore for a Clean Environment (MooreFORCE, Inc.) of Southern Pines

Summary of TOSC assistance

TOSC has reviewed numerous documents for MooreFORCE, the community group involved with this site, including the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (4 volumes, April 1999), Site Inspection Prioritization (dated April 1993), the Remedial Investigation Work Plan (April 1999), and the Preliminary Sampling Results and Work Plan Addendum to the Remedial Investigation (March 2001).

TOSC reviewed and commented upon the latest Report on Remedial Investigation for the Proctor-Silex site in November 2001. TOSC asked for clarification on discrepancies in how soil samples were analyzed by Proctor-Silex's consultants and the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the persistent nature of acetone in laboratory blanks, and other potential sources of contamination on the property.