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The Browning Lumber Company operated a pressure treatment facility at the site location until 1996 and a sawmill at the site location until 1998. Chromated Copper Arsenate was utilized during the pressure treatment processing of lumber and the company obtained an EPA ID number for hazardous waste activity in 1987; the company also received a WV/NPDES Permit for operation of the treatment facility.
Since the facility's abandonment in 1998, a fire destroyed portions of the facility. However, during an inspection conducted by WVDEP in July, 2002, to evaluate compliance with the West Virginia Hazardous Waste Management Act, residual products from the operations conducted at the facility were observed on the site. WVDEP observed that human trespassing was occuring at the site by evidence of dumped materials and trash. WVDEP conducted TCLP sampling and determined that elevated TCLP values for arsenic were present in one of the pressure treatment vessels and in the soil below the vessel.
WVDEP contacted EPA Region III and requested that they take the lead in conducting a full assessment at the site and take any necessary actions in mitigating the threats at the site.
December 1, 2005
a. OSC Kelly and START mobilized to the Browning Lumber Site located near Bald Knob, Boone County, West Virginia. There was an access road along the site which the OSC and START used to conduct the windshield assessment.
b. OSC Kelly and START observed several burn areas on the site where the former Browning Lumber Company operated. A powdery green substance was observed inside one of the open pressure vessels on the site. Numerous structures remained on the site, although some of them were burned and some were deteriorated.
c. OSC Kelly and START observed several areas of the site that contained piles of trash. In addition, a person with an ATV on the back of their truck was observed driving through the site. This was evidence that human and animal access to the site is unrestricted and that trespassing occurred frequently.
d. START conducted photographic documentation of the site's condition and collected GPS data to document the site's location.
e. OSC Kelly and START demobilized from the site.
f. OSC Kelly tasked START to conduct a title search at the courthouse to provide evidence for surface ownership of the property.
g. On Saturday, December 3, 2005, OSC Kelly received a phone call from the property owner. The property owner gave EPA verbal permission to conduct any sampling that needed to be done. OSC Kelly will be faxing the property owner the access form for his signature.
December 7, 2005
g. START mobilized to the Boone County Courthouse located in Madison, West Virginia.
h. START obtained the tax map for the area of the site and investigated the current surface ownership of the property. The property was determined to be 16.43 acres in size.
i. START verified the current surface owner of the property and traced the surface ownership of the property back in time to determine if any other parties may be responsible for the potential contamination present on the site. START obtained copies of these deeds.
j. START contacted OSC Kelly and informed him of the results of the title search.
No removal actions are planned at the site at this time.
a. START will provide a hard copy of the courthouse documentation to the OSC.
b. OSC Kelly will maintain correspondence with the surface owner and request access to the site for a sampling assessment.
c. START will draft a sampling plan for the assessment and provide it to OSC Kelly for review.
d. START will conduct a sampling assessment at the site following approval of the sampling plan by OSC Kelly and procurement of the appropriate laboratory services.
e. OSC Kelly will coordinate all Site activities with state and local officials as well as keeping the property owner informed of all Site sampling.
The Browning Lumber Company used Chromated Copper Arsenate at the site in prior years to treat lumber at the facility. The by-products of the treatment process could have potentially contaminated the surrounding soils with arsenic, a known carcinogen. Elevated TCLP values for arsenic obtained by WVDEP in prior surface soil samples verified that arsenic contamination is present at the site.
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