Hazardous Waste Site | North Carolina | 1936 to Present

What Happened?

The Kerr-McGee Chemical Corporation Corp. site is a former creosote wood-treating facility located on a 250-acre parcel of land adjacent to the Cape Fear River, Brunswick River and Sturgeon Creek in Navassa, North Carolina. The facility was established in 1936 and operated by multiple owners until its final proprietor, the Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp., ceased operations in 1974. 

The facility was dismantled between 1979-1980. Creosote and sludge from the wood treatment process were left on site, which led to the release of SVOCs, most notably PAHs, into the surrounding environment. In 2010, the EPA designated the property a Superfund site.

NOAA and Trustees have continually coordinated their activities with the cleanup actions performed by EPA and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.

What Were the Impacts?

PAHs were released into the soils, groundwater, and surrounding marsh sediments at the site. Levels of contamination in marsh sediments remain high enough to continue to have negative impacts on the marsh habitat and the ecological service it provides. For example, the high levels of contamination present at the site harm the bottom-dwelling organisms that support the aquatic food chain. The surrounding aquatic environment provides important habitat for many types of fish and wildlife, including American shad, Atlantic sturgeon, Atlantic menhaden, southern flounder, and spotted and striped bass.

What’s Happening Now?

A settlement was reached with the responsible party in January 2014, providing more than $23 million for restoration for this site. This settlement is part of a larger $5.15 billion settlement with Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, the largest environmental settlement in U.S. history at the time.

In October 2019, NOAA and co-Trustees released a Phase I Draft Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for public review and comment. That plan was finalized and released as a Final Phase I Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment in June 2020. The plan (PDF, 108 pages) outlines 10 selected projects that aim to restore and preserve unique and vulnerable habitats within the Lower Cape Fear River Watershed,while also providing recreational benefits to local communities. The projects were estimated at $12.3 million. 
As of 2025, the projects in Phase I are in various stages of design, implementation, and completion.

Completed Projects

• Alligator Creek Restoration- land acquisition and protection
• “Living With Water” Battleship North Carolina Restoration- wetland restoration, living shorelines
• Lower Black River Conservation- land acquisition and protection
• Lower Cape Fear Bottomlands Conservation- land acquisition and protection
• Merrick Creek Conservation- land acquisition and protection

Ongoing Projects

• Carolina Beach State Park Restoration- wetland restoration (completed), invasive species management (completed), and oyster reef creation
• Indian Creek Restoration and Conservation- wetland restoration and land acquisition and conservation (completed,) public access/recreation
• Navassa Watershed Characterization and Green Infrastructure- wetland restoration, conservation, flood control
• Navassa Waterfront Park- land acquisition and conservation (completed), public access/recreation
• Moze Heritage Site Restoration- habitat enhancement, habitat conservation, public access/recreation

Phase II restoration planning is expected to begin in 2025/2026.