About the Former Kerr-McGee Site in Jacksonville, Florida
The Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp – Jacksonville Superfund Site in Jacksonville was contaminated by decades of fertilizer manufacturing and pesticide and herbicide formulation and packaging.
In 2010, the Site was added to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Priorities List (NPL) of federal Superfund sites, due to contamination of the Site’s soil and groundwater. The NPL is a list of the worst hazardous waste sites identified by Superfund.
The Site’s Superfund designation means the cleanup must follow the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) process that EPA uses to clean up Superfund sites. Learn about CERCLA, also known as Superfund.
The Multistate Environmental Response Trust (Multistate Trust) is performing investigations and cleanup under EPA oversight and in consultation with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). Visit the EPA website and the FDEP website.
Overview of Cleanup Work
Milestones achieved to date
In 2011, the Multistate Trust accepted responsibility for owning and managing the former Kerr-McGee Site as part of the global bankruptcy settlement of Tronox (formerly Kerr-McGee).
Since then, the Multistate Trust has implemented a number of environmental actions, environmental investigations, and other activities, including the following:
Completion of the Final Operable Unit 1 (OU1) Remedial Design Report, September 2024
Completion of the Site Preparation for Operable Unit 1 (OU1), October 2021
Completion of the Air Quality Monitoring Plan for construction of the OU1 Remedy, June 2020
Completion of the Predesign Investigation (PDI) Report for Operable Unit 1 (OU1), March 2020
Acquisition of State of Florida-owned submerged lands in the St. Johns River through a rare exchange authorized by the State in return for private marsh and forest that the Multistate Trust acquired adjacent to Fort George Island Cultural State Park. Read the Announcement.
Completion of the Remedial Design Work Plan and Remedial Design Work Plan Addendum, February 2019
Installation of a new fence to improve Site security, March 2018
Completion of the final Human Health Risk Assessment Addendum, August 2016
Completion of the final Feasibility Study for Operable Unit 1, August 2016
Completion of the final Baseline Ecological Risk Assessment, May 2013
In addition, EPA – with the support of the Multistate Trust and in consultation with FDEP – has completed:
Issuance of the Record of Decision for Operable Unit 1, December 2016
Completion of the Proposed Plan for Operable Unit 1, September 2016
What is Operable Unit 1?
During cleanup, a Superfund site can be divided into distinct areas depending on the complexity of the problems associated with the site. These areas are called operable units (OUs) and may address geographic areas of a site, specific site problems, or areas where a specific action is required.
The Site in Jacksonville has been divided into two operable units to facilitate cleanup of known contamination. The Operable Unit 1 (OU1) remedy addresses contaminated soil and groundwater on-site and off-site and contaminated sediment and surface water in the St. Johns River.
The OU1 remedy includes on-site consolidation of contaminated soil from the adjacent CSX Transportation property; stabilization of contaminated soil (known as source areas); installation of a groundwater recovery and treatment system; construction of a low-permeability, multilayered cap covering the Site footprint; installation of an environmental bulkhead to contain contaminated St. Johns River sediment in place; and dredging of contaminated sediment from outside the bulkhead and consolidation of the dredged sediment inside the bulkhead.
Current Activities and work
A Multistate Trust work crew installs a trench shield for excavation activities in 2021 at the Kerr-McGee Superfund Site in Jacksonville, Florida.
In 2020 and 2021, an initial cleanup phase prepared the Site for the OU1 remedial action. The first phase included excavating soil impacted by Site-related chemicals from the adjoining CSX parcel and relocating it onto the Site, where it will be covered by a permanent cap. Other preparations included installing stormwater controls and a truck wash area, clearing most of the Site, and demolishing concrete foundations.
In December 2024, mobilization began for the major phase of cleanup, which will address contaminated soil and groundwater on-site and off-site and contaminated sediment and surface water in the St. Johns River. The two-year construction project will include installation of an environmental bulkhead on the St. Johns River shoreline to contain sediment, construction of a site-wide low-permeability soil cap, soil stabilization, and installation of a groundwater recovery system.
See the OU1 Remedial Action fact sheet.
Community Involvement activities
The Multistate Trust, along with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), hosted virtual community meetings on December 11, 2024, and in-person availability sessions on January 14, 2025, to update the community about the cleanup work that began in early 2025 at the Kerr-McGee Superfund Site in Jacksonville. See the December 2024 Community Update Meeting presentation for more information.
Our Beneficiaries and regulatory agencies
The beneficiaries of the Multistate Trust are the U.S. government and the government of the state where each former Kerr-McGee site is located. In Jacksonville, the beneficiaries are represented by EPA and FDEP.
EPA held a public meeting in September 2016 at Matthew W. Gilbert Middle School In Eastside Jacksonville to discuss the Proposed Plan to address Operable Unit 1 at the Site and to answer questions.
EPA is also the lead regulatory agency for the Site In Jacksonville, and FDEP is the designated non-lead agency. In its role as lead agency, EPA approves Site-specific cleanup plans and activities and the hiring of contractors to perform environmental activities at the Site.
In its role as beneficiary, EPA approves the Multistate Trust’s annual environmental budgets, in consultation with FDEP.
As beneficiaries, both EPA and FDEP must approve the sale, transfer, or disposition of the Site or any portion of it.
Our Commitment to Community StakeholderS
The Multistate Trust and its beneficiaries recognize that the City of Jacksonville and particularly the residents near the former Kerr-McGee property have been impacted by the Site.
The Multistate Trust team remains dedicated to protecting and engaging our community and neighbors as we clean up the Site and plan for its safe, beneficial reuse for future generations. In collaboration with EPA and FDEP, the Multistate Trust strives to keep the community and other stakeholders informed of our work.
Visit our Community Involvement webpage for more information.
Environmental Justice
Environmental justice (EJ) is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all—regardless of income, race, color, national origin, Tribal affiliation, or disability—in the implementation and enforcement of environmental laws and policies.
In Jacksonville, the Multistate Trust is committed to investing in this community and informing the community about investigations and cleanup.