State officials approve next phase of Winston Weaver site cleanup plan

North Carolina environmental regulators recently approved the next step in the cleanup process at the former Weaver fertilizer plant in Winston-Salem. More testing will soon take place.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality recently approved a remedial investigation work plan for the Winston Weaver site.

Montrose Engineering and Geology submitted the report on behalf of the plant.

During a preliminary assessment in May, Montrose says it observed hazardous waste generated at the site including waste fluids from the demolition of the production building. The report says paints and flammable liquids are among the hazardous waste fluids onsite.

Stan Meiburg is a former acting deputy administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency and heads the graduate program in sustainability at Wake Forest University. He says the test results will help determine if more remediation is needed.

“This is a standard part of a process, so they finished up the removal of the debris and now they are proceeding to the next step of looking at what may be residual on the site that can be cleaned up –so the site can be used for future use," says Meiburg.

Montrose will collect hundreds of soil and groundwater samples to assess the risk for runoff contamination. It will also install five underground wells to monitor levels of ammonia, nitrates, and other substances.

The company estimates that it will take around 17 weeks to conduct the testing and issue its findings. 

A fire at the Winston-Weaver fertilizer plant broke out on January 31, 2022. It lasted for days, and resulted in the evacuation of more than 6,000 residents.

Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news