Dilapidated, toxic carburetor plant coming down in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS -- Demolition at the dilapidated and toxic Carter Carburetor plant in north St. Louis finally is beginning, under the eye of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Contractors began Monday taking down the massive brick plant that once produced carburetors for millions of American cars. It has sat vacant for years, with toxic waste bleeding down to bedrock, making it one of the most contaminated industrial environmental Superfund sites in St. Louis.

By this time next year, the nearly 500,000-square-foot factory site will be a 10-acre vacant lot. EPA spokesman David Bryan said what happens after that is the topic of ongoing discussions.

ACF Industries Inc. of St. Charles, Missouri, a former owner, is responsible for tearing down the main four-story structure and an adjacent two-story building. Physical demolition is expected to be completed by April, with final cleanup finished by late 2017.

The project is expected to cost nearly $30 million.

Asbestos was removed in recent months, but special measures are needed to prevent air and further ground contamination.

"Any type of demolition involving a Superfund site has certain issues," Bryan said. "When you do this type of work, there will be air monitoring during the entire demolition process. We want to make sure all health and safety rules are followed. That's the part that takes some time."

The site also is contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, toxic compounds found in hydraulic fluid was used in die-cast machines and from oil in electric transformers kept there. Another contaminant is trichloroethylene, or TCE, an industrial solvent that was used to degrease carburetor components.

The plant roared to life in the 1920s, and for decades, St. Louis-made Carter Carburetors were among the industry's national standard-bearers. At one point, the factory employed about 3,000 workers.

Fuel injection replaced carburetors, and by 1984, the factory closed. Contamination was discovered at the site a short time later, leading to decades of environmental and legal wrangling over what had to be done and who had to pay for it.

Nearby residents and business owners have said the plant was a medical hazard and an economic threat.

"We are relieved that it's finally coming down. It has been there for a long time," said Mavis Thompson, who is city license collector for St. Louis. "I do think more development will come to the area. We're excited."