Personal Injury Law

New Superfund site named in Wilmington

By asbestoshub

Quoted from http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20101020/ARTICLES/101029984/1004

New Superfund site named in Wilmington

Contaminated areas part of Horton Iron and Metal

By Gareth McGrath

Published: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at 9:31 a.m.

An old Wilmington phosphate fertilizer manufacturing facility and ship-breaking yard has been proposed to be added to the list of most hazardous waste sites in the country.

The contaminated areas are part of the 38-acre Horton Iron and Metal site, which lies just north of the Isabel Holmes Bridge along U.S. 421 North.

Although parts of the site are still used for a metal-recycling operation, the most polluted areas near the Northeast Cape Fear River and around the two boat slips aren’t currently utilized, according to Horton’s attorney….

During the 1960s and 1970s, Horton conducted ship-breaking operations and metal salvage of World War II Liberty Ships in the two boat slips.

Because of the fertilizer operations, arsenic and lead has been found in the soil, groundwater and around the boat slips.

Heavy metals, asbestos and petroleum products were added to the toxic mess by the ship-breaking operations, according to regulators.

[Article continues at original source]

Full post as published by Asbestos HUB on October 21, 2010 (boomark / email).