In Society Hill, South Carolina, the remnants of the Galey & Lord textile mill harbor hazardous "forever chemicals" that have contaminated nearby farmland, leading to a potential Superfund cleanup that could set a precedent for agricultural pollution cases nationwide.
South Carolina’s Contaminated Farmland: A Call for Superfund Action
South Carolina’s Contaminated Farmland: A Call for Superfund Action
The Galey & Lord textile mill’s legacy has left 10,000 acres of farmland tainted with “forever chemicals,” prompting officials to consider a Superfund site declaration.
The abandoned Galey & Lord textile mill in Society Hill, South Carolina, paints a grim picture of environmental neglect. With its defunct infrastructure, including rusted tanks and murky wastewater ponds housing alligators, this site has assumed an ominous role in a sprawling contamination saga. The real peril, however, stems from the surrounding farmland—nearly 10,000 acres now identified by state officials as mired in toxic pollution due to the factory's past waste disposal practices.
Once celebrated for producing the casual "King of Khaki" cotton twill, Galey & Lord was known for its dubious practice of treating wastewater and distributing the resulting sludge to local farmers as fertilizer. Many farmers utilized this sludge, unaware of the hidden dangers linking it to hazardous "forever chemicals"—substances associated with severe health risks, including cancer. Recent soil testing has revealed alarming levels of these PFAS compounds on croplands that received the sludge treatment.
This case represents a pioneering move toward declaring farmland a Superfund site due to contamination stemming from sewage sludge fertilizer, a significant departure from conventional approaches targeting industrial waste sites alone. The Galey & Lord site itself has been designated as a Superfund location for three years, illustrating the long-term implications of improper waste handling practices.
Farmers like Robert O’Neal, who used the sludge in the late 1990s, believed they were enhancing crop yields. Today, they are left grappling with the ramifications of a toxic legacy masked as agricultural support. As state and federal officials consider action, this situation highlights the complex relationship between agriculture and environmental policy, with the potential to redefine how contaminated farmland is managed and regulated across the United States.
