According to documents provided by the ADEM and a preliminary site visit conducted by OSC Ullock and START on October 8, 2009, the site consists of an approximate 0.5-acre inactive wood-treating facility located in a rural area west of an abandoned residence located at 8501 John Johnston Road in the town of Sims Chapel, Washington County, Alabama (Ref. 3). The geographic coordinates for the center of the site are Latitude 31.2253530 N, and Longitude -88.1478490 W. The heavily wooded site lies on a peninsula shaped parcel of land surrounded by wetlands and is included within a larger 50-acre parcel (parcel no. 14-0-000-002.003).
There are no known dates of operation, but the site was reportedly in operation during the 1940s. According to available file material, creosote was the primary preservative chemical before 1950. After 1950, pentachlorophenol (PCP) became the preferred chemical (Ref. 5). The site has been abandoned since at least
1996. The site appears to be the location of an open-pit dip creosote process employed without secondary containment. An approximate 10 foot (ft) long by 4 ft wide by 6 ft deep open pit filled with an oily liquid was observed near an
abandoned and severely dilapidated wooden building. The site is located in a very rural, sparsely populated area, with a Baptist church immediately to the south.
On March 30th, 2010 ERRB (OSC ULLOCK) and START x 3 conducted a Removal Site Evaluation on the property. Approximately 15 surface and sub-surface soil samples were collected for analysis. The sample data are pending. Once received, this data will be evaluated against Removal Action Levels and the site will be considered for a Time Critical Removal Action.
