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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.
START conducted a sampling assessment during the week of February 10, 2206. START collected a total of 11 surface water, 13 sediment, and 47 surface soil samples from the site.
On August 22, 2006, OSC Kelly and START mobilized to the site and observed the wood chip piles located just inside the site fence. The piles had greatly diminished, suggesting that people had been transporting the wood chips off site. START collected three samples from these piles. To ensure that the origin of the wood chips were the same as the stockpiles that were on site and to confirm the content of arsenic in the chips, the OSC directed START to collect a composite sample from the stockpile that is located on the site property, located behind its steel structure.
START packaged and shipped four samples from the site on August 23, 2006. The OSC and START corresponded to determine future actions at the site. The access road to cross Pond Fork to the site with heavy equipment is being scheduled for construction, pending correspondence with the current property owner.
Future actions include excavation and T&D of the arsenic contaminated materials at the site. This will include removal of the CCA pressure vessel that contains hazardous concentrations of arsenic, chromium, and copper. Construction of a access road to cross Pond Fork is in the proposal stage and will be required to access the contaminated materials.
The OSC will continue to work with the State, Corps of Engineers and ERRS contractor to install the proper access over the creek.
Arsenic contamination has been determined at the site in a concentration of 191,000 ppm in the CCA pressure vessel, up to 1,500 ppm in the soil, and up to 213 ppm in the sediment. Chromium contamination has been determined at the site in a concentration of 96,600 ppm in the CCA pressure vessel. Copper contamination has been determined at the site in a concentration of 60,900 ppm in the CCA pressure vessel.
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