The American Creosote site is an NPL site currently in the feasibilty study phase of RI/FS stage. Following the emergency response in August of 2005, the On-Scene Coordinator noted that the removal program has the authority to respond to the presence of creosote waste on the Site. The remedial program enlisted the support of the ERRB in order to address the ongoing threat to which they are unable to respond.
Hughes creek runs through the site, parallel to Railroad Avenue. The contamination of Hughes Creek with creosote from the American Creosote site is well documented. Offsite, at the corner of S. Church Avenue and Railroad Avenue (near the City of Louisville Water Work) the City was constructing a bridge that crosses Hughes Creek. During that construction, the creek was diverted and an exacavation pit was dug for the construction of the bridge base. The construction crew piled sediments from the creek bed along side the culvert that diverted the stream.
Construction workers noticed creosote stained soils, complained of creosote odors, and observed a sheen in the rain water that had accumulated in the excavation pit. The construction may have unearthed contaminated sediments. Another possibility is that the diverted stream, carrying creosote, breached the silt fence and berm that separated the excavation pit from the diverted stream. After the rain event, creosote globules in the sediments (and a corresponding sheen on the water) were observed upstream in Hughes creek (from either runoff or the resuspension of contaminated stream sediments). The creek could have deposited creosote when it overflowed the silt fench/berm contruction.
A long term solution that deals with the contaminated sediments in Hughes Creek may be beyond the scope of this removal action. At this time, it is the goal of the ERRB to contain the ongoing release of creosote into the Creek. Once the source is controlled, the contaminated sediments will be remediated.
Contractor crews mobilized to the Site on December 4, 2006 in order to begin clearing activities for the planned removal action. Clearing activities include road construction, cutting paths to the Creek, bush hogging areas for sheet pile placement, and construction of material staging areas.
Clearing activities are anticipated to last 2 weeks.
The proposed actions consist of securing access to potential exposure areas on the Site via signage and fencing, and stabilization of the two source areas. The containment of the source at the former lagoon area will consist of installation of a barrier system between the creek and the source area in order to mitigate the ongoing release into the creek. Once the seepage from the source is controlled; removal, treatment and disposal of creosote contaminated soils and sediments in the wood chip pile area and Hughes Creek may be addressed.
Crews will continue clearing and placing stones on ground in order to support heavy equipment.
Several areas in the vicinity of the Creek are wet and difficult to traverse with heavy equipment. During clearing activities, a bulldozer encountered a soft spot and got bogged down. The sunken dozer stirred up soils heavily contaminated with creosote.
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