Source: The Macalloy Corporation, a ferrochromium alloy manufacturing plant, is located in North Charleston, SC on the Cooper River approximately 2 miles north of Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The natural resource damage assessment area includes Shipyard Creek, a tidal creek that drains into the Cooper River.

Release: Approximately 450 tons of chromite ore, 126 tons of coke, 45 tons of silica and 36 tons of alumina were used to produce 180 tons of finished ferrochromium per day. Waste materials generated during ferrochromium alloy production (slag, ash, dust, sludge and wastewater) were stored on-site in landfills and storage piles. These wastes were contaminated with heavy metals such as chromium, lead, nickel and zinc. Surface water infiltrated through these waste materials into underlying soils and groundwater and/or flowed overland discharging to Shipyard Creek, a tidal creek flowing into the Cooper River, Charleston, SC.

Primary Injury:

The trustees have assessed the nature and extent of potential natural resource injuries to the trust resources associated with Shipyard Creek and the Cooper River. The trustees have determined that the following resources have potential natural resource injuries:

• Benthic resources and their habitat. Benthic species in Shipyard Creek and the Cooper River were likely adversely impacted due to the chronic release of heavy metals from the Macalloy site.
• Surface water resources. Fish inhabiting surface waters were potentially impacted by the contamination.