# DIVEX, INC.
> **Judicial** · FY2000 · — · Final Order With Specified Cost Recovery
## Case
- **Activity ID:** `23494`
- **Case Number:** 04-2000-0089
- **Type:** Judicial
- **Lead:** EPA
- **Outcome:** Final Order With Specified Cost Recovery
- **Penalty assessed:** —
- **Cost recovery:** $2.00M
- **Compliance action $:** —
- **Multimedia (multi-env):** N
## Defendants
- AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS (SC)
- ANDERSON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS (SC)
- BERKELEY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
- BOEING COMPANY, INC.
- CALLERY CHEMICAL CO.
- CATIONICS, INC.
- CHARLESTON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
- CLEMSON UNIVERSITY
- COLUMBIA ORGANIC CHEMICAL CO.
- DOWN CHEMICAL COMPANY
- ELLIOT WHITE SPRINGS HOSPITAL
- ENGELHARD CORP.
- ENSIGN-BICKFORD CO.
- FURMAN UNIVERSITY
- GENERAL DYNAMICS OTS (AEROSPACE) (complaint) (settlement)
- GENERAL DYNAMICS OTS (CALIFORNIA) (complaint) (settlement)
- GERGEL, MAX G.
- HARSHAW/FILTROL PARTNERSHIP
- IT CORP.
- KEWANEE INDUSTRIES, INC.
- LANCASTER SYNTHESIS, INC.
- LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY (complaint)
- LOCKHEED ELECTRONICS CO., INC.
- LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION (complaint) (settlement)
- LOCKHEED SANDERS, INC.
- LONE AND GRASSY MOUNTAIN (complaint) (settlement)
- MCDONNELL DOUGLAS MISSILE SYSTEMS CO.
- MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
- MINE SAFETY APPLIANCES
- MINE SAFETY APPLIANCES COMPANY (complaint) (settlement)
- N. WOOD COUNTER LABORATORY, INC.
- OLIN CORPORATION (complaint) (settlement)
- PHYSICS INTERNATIONAL COMPANY (complaint) (settlement)
- R. STRESSAU LABORATORIES, INC.
- RM ENGINEERED PRODUCTS
- ROCKEOR CORPORIATION (complaint) (settlement)
- SAFETY-KLEEN, INC. (complaint) (settlement)
- SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES (complaint) (settlement)
- SOLKATRONIC CHEMICALS, INC.
- TRANSALE, INC.
- U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (complaint) (settlement)
- U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY (complaint) (settlement)
- U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY (complaint) (settlement)
- UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
- WACKENHUT SERVICES, INC.-SAVANNAH RIVER
## Summary

THE SITE INCLUDED THREE SEPARATE PARCELS OF PROPERTY IN AND AROUND COLUMBIA, RICHMOND COUNTY, SC.  THE SITE  WAS ONE OF THE MOST COMPLEX SUPERFUND SITE IN THE HISTORY OF REGION 4 REMOVAL PROGRAM.  THE OWNER & PRIMARY OPERATOR OF DIVEX, INC. WAS JACK SUTHERLAND.  THE COMPANY  WAS RUN BY MR. SUTHERLAND FROM THE EARLY 1980'S UNTIL  1993 & WAS ENGAGED IN NUMEROUS LEGITIMATE ENVIRONMENTALLY- RELATED SERVICES.  IN ADDITION, DIVEX, INC., ENTERED INTO NUMEROUS CONTRACTS FOR TESTING, DEVELOPMENT AND DISPOSAL OF VARIOUS EXPERIMENTAL CHEMICALS AND COMPOUNDS.  AS A RESULT, SUTHERLAND ACQUIRED NUMEROUS EXPLOSIVE AND TOXIC     MATERIALS DURING THE COURSE OF HIS OPERATIONS.  ON  9/6/93, MR. SUTHERLAND WAS KILLED IN A CHEMICAL EXPLOSION WHILE MIXING HIGHLY REACTIVE MATERIALS AT THE MANUFACTURING FACILITY.  THE EXPLOSION CAUSED A RELEASE OF EXPLOSIVES, ACID AND OTHER CHEMICAL INTERMEDIARIES INTO THE ENVIRONMENT.  EPA'S REMOVAL ACTION BEGAN AS A RESPONSE TO THIS ACCIDENT.  THE EPA REGION 4 EMERGENCY     RESPONSE AND REMOVAL BRANCH WAS FIRST NOTIFIED OF THE  INCIDENT ON 10/22/93, BY SC SENATOR STROM THURMOND, WHO HAD BEEN CONTACTED BY THE RICHLAND COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SERVICES (RCEMS).  THE BULK OF THE REMOVAL EFFORT FOCUSED ON CONTAINERIZED MATERIAL, SUCH AS DRUMS, BUCKETS, AND CYLINDERS.  THERE WAS VERY LITTLE CONTAMINATED SOIL AND NO CONTAMINATED  GROUNDWATER FOUND ON THE SITE.  THE LAST PHASE OF THE REMOVAL INVOLVED COMPLEX SITE ASSESSMENT AND SAMPLING & THE FINAL REPORT WAS SUBMITTE

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