About
Navassa, North Carolina is a small town at the confluence of Brunswick and Northwest Cape Fear Rivers in Northeast Brunswick County of Southeastern North Carolina. Navassa is also located approximately 5 miles west of the historic city of Wilmington, NC in New Hanover County. The current population of Navassa is 1,672. At the time of the 2000 census African Americans comprised 87% of the population in Navassa. This is significant when compared to Brunswick County with a population of 73,143 and only 14% of the population being African American.
The Town identified six industrial sites that comprise of approximately 475 acres and are either contaminated and/or not in use. The Town of Navassa includes nearly 5,300 acres of land, and approximately 1,500 acres are zoned for commercial or industrial use. Therefore, these six properties represent a significant percentage (32%) of available commercial/industrial land.
The Cape Fear Meat Packing Plant was selected for assessment under this grant due to its potential for redevelopment, location on a navigable waterway, and location near a new highway being built for Wilmington. The site was originally utilized for fertilizer production, and beginning in the early 1900s a meat packing plant operated on the site. Currently, the site is not in use. Contamination at the Cape Fear Packing Plant is suspected to be from three potential sources. The first is the migration of known soil contamination consisting of grease and oil from the adjoining High Rise Chemical Company that recycles waste oils and solvents. A preliminary assessment was conducted on the High Rise property in Nov. 2002. This assessment revealed soil contamination with oil and grease (EPA Method 9071) and low levels of volatile and semi-volatile organics. Groundwater samples from the site revealed low levels of Triflouromethane and Tetracholoroethylene. The second is a result of the operation and maintenance of heavy machinery used in the packing of meat. Heavy machinery can lead to contamination by loss of lubricants and solvents during their maintenance. The third is likely lead and arsenic contamination, due to the previous owner being Royster Fertilizer Co. The purpose of this grant shall be to determine the degree and extent of contamination on the site.
The Town of Navassa desperately needs to clarify the environmental status of this property. The Brownfields project will allow the Town to complete the assessment, characterization, and cleanup and redevelopment planning for the purpose of adding usable land to the community for new business or industry. The Mayor of Navassa is anxious to get new industry into the town in order to reduce unemployment and improve the poverty situation.
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