The Hinds County Wood Preserving Company, Inc. (HCWP) began operations in the early 1960s and ceased operations around 1978. HCWP treated lumber with creosote in two pressure vessels. Remaining on-site as of 11/06/2006 were both pressure vessels (Tanks 2 and 6), three above-ground storage tanks (AST) (Tanks 1, 3, and 5), the facility boiler (Tank 4), and various pieces of equipment and treated lumber. The removal assessment determined 1) that each of the three ASTs contains some amount of material with a collective total of approximately 14,000 gallons, 2) each of the pressure vessels contains some amount of residual creosoting material and one was actively leaking, 3) seven drums of waste oil-water mixture were left on-site, 4) the boiler unit insulation contained asbestos while the pressure vessel’s insulation did not, and 5) equipment contaminated with creosote remained on-site.
The site is drained by several ditches that converge at the northeast, adjacent to Learned Oakley Road, and flow via culverts into Bitter Creek on the east side of the road. The nearest residence is located 120 yards and uphill from the site. The resident maintains a groundwater well on the property, but the house has been connected to a municipal water supply.
Debris is being cleared for work areas and disposed of in a roll-off box that remains onsite for uncontaminated trash.
Demolition of Tank 4 (boiler) was completed as much as possible. Much of the casing is too thick for the cutting torch and it was determined that the value of pre-cut metal for the recycler did not exceed the value of labor and materials that would be necessary to dismantle the entire Tank. All of the metal will be recycled and none was contaminated.
Decontamination of Tank 2 (vessel) was completed and deconstruction has begun.
It was determined that the material in Tank 6 (vessel) and Tank 3 (AST) are compatible and that decontamination of Tank 6 could begin by moving its contents to Tank 3 in lieu of mobilizing another storage tank to the site. Recent freezing weather has made pumping difficult. A hookup to Tank 6’s internal heating coils was discovered, and steam was successfully pushed through the coils to warm the material so that it could be pumped. The creosote was pumped into a 55-gallon drum (with containment) where sludge and debris was allowed to settle, and the surface material at the drum was then pumped into Tank 3.
A collection area was dug around the entrance to Tank 6 and was lined with plastic sheeting; the tank’s grade will allow washwater to flow towards the entrance. A cut will be made at the end opposite of the entrance, similar to that made on Tank 2, to allow greater ventilation and light during decontamination activities.
- Clearing of vegetation and trees to gain access to contaminated areas. (COMPLETE)
- Removal and bulking of contaminated wastes and/or hazardous substances from tanks and drums. (ONGOING)
- Demolition and removal of tanks and removal contaminated materials such as abandoned equipment. (ONGOING)
- Excavate, stockpile and re-locate the contaminated surface soil. (ONGOING)
- Collect and analyze confirmation samples from the excavated areas.
- Restore and backfill excavated areas with clean fill.
- Conduct additional sampling for waste profiling. (ONGOING)
- Additional sampling to confirm extent and boundary of migrated contaminants.
- Complete demolition of Tank 2
- Begin decontamination and demolition of Tank 6
- Arrange for disposal of waste material from Tank 3
- Arrange for disposal of water/waste mixture from Tank 5
- Draft and approve sampling plan to determine extent of soil excavation
There is approximately 250 linear yards of drip-zones where the creosote-soaked poles were carried out from the pressure vessels on small rail roads. The dried creosote is the consistency of asphalt and has not been observed to melt in the heat. Precedent from previous EPA wood-treater fund-lead removals says that it is not cost prohibitive for these materials to be removed in addition to other excavation onsite, but it has not been determined whether the material contributes to surface contamination. This should be part of the sampling plan being drafted for quantification of excavation.
Cold weather has been prohibitive to site operations. Local weather reports state that near-record lows are affecting the area, but that temperatures should warm up in the coming weeks. Operations being affected include power washing and pumping; these activities will be completed as soon as possible to avoid similar complications in January.
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