EPA was notified that a suspect creosote-contaminated storm drainage ditch was disturbed during development activity at a local church in Columbus, Mississippi. Caller identified that neighborhood children were playing in spoils pile, thereby potentially experiencing acute exposures to creosote. EPA OSC Jardine dispatched with ERRS Team Subcontractor USES and START consultant OTIE/TN&A to arrange for appropriate removal action.
EPA and USES met with property owner Reverend Jamison late Wednesday night to verify potential exposures and to size up appropriate response resources.
After resources arrived Thursday morning, USES began excavating potentially contamnated spoils piles and directly loading them into roll-off boxes. OTIE collected materials during excavation process for field screening and ultimate waste profiling.
After spoils materials were loaded and staged on site in roll-off boxes, OSC Jardine and removal team conducted visual survey and minor hand-digging along stream sediments to identify additional suspect materials that may pose future exposure problems. Team identified an oily strata within an approximately 18 inch sediment lens atop the concrete ditch invert. This area was bare at the surface and subject to erosion so OSC Jardine instructed USES to excavate the sediment lens and deposit material into a roll-off box. Approximately 50 cubic yards of material were removed from the concrete channel.
Adjacent to this excavation was similar sediment material, however; the additional sediment was heavily grassed and appeared more stable to resist erosion and exposure of potentially contaminated material. Contaminated strata of excavated material was approximately 12 inches below the surface.
Separately, an additional sample was collected from potentially creosote-contaminated material that is inside of an old riveted section of piping that was removed from the ditch and placed on the property a reported 10 years ago. The material within the pipe smells stongly of creosote.
USES erected orange plastic construction fence around all potentially contaminated materials as a deterrent to future human contact and physical exposures.
START will arrange for analytical services to complete waste profiling and provide a definitive determination regarding the material remaining on site. The information will be provided to the R4 RCRA Project manager who is providing oversight for RCRA Corrective Actions associated with a nearby wood treatment facility.
EPA will arrange for ultimate treatment/disposal of waste stream as appropriate.
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