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 occurring 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.
On June 19, 2006, the OSC activated a removal action at the site under his delegation of authority for $250,000. Initial actions included the installation of an entrance fence and coordination with the Army Corp of Engineers (ACOE) for assistance in design/construction of an access bridge across Pond Fork stream.
OSC received Stream Crossing Plan from ACOE on 06/20/2006.
EPA has notified current and former owners and/or operators of the Site that they may be potentially liable for the costs incurred by EPA for the Site clean-up.
On September 13, 2006, a Removal Action Memorandum for the amount of $2,516,339 was signed to address the environmental issues at the Site.
Access Road Activities:
ERRS installed all three 6 x 60 ft culvert pipes as required by the plan. ERRS completed anchoring culvert pipes with stone. Large rocks were added to the ends of the anchoring stone as per the bridge design. ERRS began reconstructing the stream bank along with the addition of protection rock. ERRS dammed and partially backfilled the diversion trench. The stream began flowing through the culverts of the new bridge. ERRS removed the remains of the old washed out bridge from just upstream of the new access bridge's location. ERRS used the large rock remaining from this structure for stream bank protection.
ERRS compacted 10” stone layer overtop of the culvert pipes with the Compactor and completed placing a layer of 24” rock overtop the stone layer above the culverts. ERRS graded soil along LDB to build up the stream bank.
ERRS continued on bridge construction by extending the road onto the site property. The swale was lined with 24 inch rock to direct high water to flow around the bridge instead of over the bridge. ERRS measured the grade of the bridge roadway and marked the levels for the final layer of 3 inch stone and the level for the final top coat of fine gravel. The addition of the fine gravel will complete the road surface for the access road.
DECONTAMINATION OF VESSELS AND PAD AREA:
ERRS began clearing the broken concrete block from between the tank and pressure vessel. They separated the clean block from the contaminated block into two piles. START and ERRS marked out the contaminated soil areas around the treatment process with survey tape.
OSC will continue to coordinate activites with the State and potential responsible parties.
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