Holcomb Creosote Company is a single pressure vessel creosote wood treating company. It began operations in the 1950s and went out of business in February 2009. Tanks and an open concrete pit containing waste creosote (F034) remain on-site along with 4000 gallons of virgin creosote, numerous drums, and heavily stained soil.
A Removal Site Evaluation was conducted on January 20, 2011, at the request of the NCDENR. During the evaluation, visible sheen was observed being released from the sediment of a tributary to Deep Creek adjacent to the plant. An emergency response was initiated to mitigate the ongoing release of hazardous substances to the environment.