South Carolina's Toxic Legacy: 10,000 Acres of Contaminated Farmland Targeted for Superfund Site Designation

The Galey & Lord textile mill in South Carolina has left nearly 10,000 acres of farmland contaminated with PFAS, known as “forever chemicals.” The state is pushing for Superfund designation for this land, marking a notable case of agricultural land linked to sewage sludge fertilizer being targeted for federal cleanup.

The Galey & Lord textile mill in Society Hill, South Carolina, stands abandoned, an eerie reminder of its past. The facility, once celebrated for its khaki cotton twill production, has transitioned into an environmental concern with its surrounding farmland now threatened by contamination. The state seeks to declare nearly 10,000 acres of affected farmland a federal Superfund site, amidst alarming discoveries regarding "forever chemicals," or PFAS, which are notorious for their persistence in the environment and ties to serious health risks.

For several decades, the mill treated wastewater from its manufacturing processes and distributed the treated sludge to neighboring farmers as a supposed free fertilizer booster. Many of these farmers, including Robert O’Neal who cultivated soy, corn, and wheat in the late 1990s, were misled into believing that this sludge would significantly enrich their crop yields. Now, with alarming concentrations of PFAS surfacing in soil and water tests, the repercussions of this practice are increasingly grim.

This potential federal designation could mark a historic first, recognizing farmland as a Superfund site primarily due to sewage sludge fertilizer contamination. Environmental officials are rallying support for this designation as a means to rectify historical oversights and protect future agricultural integrity. The remnants of the Galey & Lord mill remain as silent witnesses to the toxic legacy and a plea for urgent action in addressing the extensive pollution it has caused.