The County of Aiken, located in South Carolina, acquired the former privately held Seminole Mill. The former Seminole Mill contains approximately 14.8 acres. After many years of abandonment, fires and miscellaneous salvage operations the county gained control of this hazardous site with the help from the EPA’s Brownfield Re-development Grants. The main fire ravished the building years earlier leaving the remaining standing structures very dangerous and close to collapsing. In addition to the structural danger, asbestos containing insulation and other building materials such as lead-based painted components were spread all over the entire site. NEO was contracted twice over a four year period to clean up the site.

The first contract involved the clean up and demolition of all remaining structures down to the floor slabs. NEO demolished the buildings under controlled conditions which included wet removal/demolition followed by transporting all of the debris as asbestos containing and/or lead contaminated debris. NEO separated any salvageable steel for waste minimization after a thorough decontamination process.

The second contract involved demolition of the sub-grade structures along with remaining floor slabs. This phase of the project involved working “hand in hand” with the owner and their consultant to track soil contamination/plumes to avoid increasing the contamination areas. All of the contaminated soil was excavated, transported and dispose of properly. All of the uncontaminated concrete, approximately 80%, was crushed and reused on the site or recycled.

The overall project generated approximately 1,313 cubic yards of asbestos containing debris and 7,547 tons of debris with lead-based paint were removed and properly disposed of in accordance with EPA and South Carolina Department of Health and Environment Control rules and regulations.