Durham, NC, has a rich history of industrialization and manufacturing. Once a global hub of textiles and tobacco, the heart of Durham’s economic success was tied to the embracing of industrial processes. This legacy dates back to at least 1860.
The Brenntag Mid-South facility, which currently calls Durham its home, sits on a property filled with historical significance. The City of Durham operated a municipal reservoir at this location in the 1860s, and the Durham Cotton Manufacturing Company textile mill conducted operations on the property in the late 1800s until at least the 1930s.
As industries evolved and the Durham Cotton Manufacturing Company wrapped up its operations, the former reservoir was used as an industrial lagoon, likely containing textile mill waste. Over time, the lagoon was reportedly filled to allow for site redevelopment. It was a decision rooted in the knowledge and priorities of the time, with little insight into the potential long-term environmental repercussions.
Today, we know that such industrial lagoons can create long-term environmental problems, and it is possible that this lagoon is the source of the complex problem that the City of Durham and Brenntag Mid-South are committed to solving together.