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Brunswick Wood Preserving
National Information
Additional Resources
- Site Cleanup Terms - can be found in EPA's glossary
- EPA Guides to Cleanup Technologies
- Superfund Community Involvement (PDF) (17 pp, 130K, About PDF)
Site Summary Profile
EPA ID: GAD981024466Location: Brunswick, Glynn County, GA
Lat/Long: 31.242220, -081.528050
Congressional District: 01
NPL Status: Proposed: 12/23/96; Final: 4/01/97
Affected Media: Ground water, Soil
Cleanup Status: Construction Underway: physical cleanup activities at site have started
Site Reuse/Redevelopment: Currently unused
Site Manager: Brian Farrier (farrier.brian@epa.gov)
Site Background
The Brunswick Wood Preserving Site is located in Brunswick, Glynn County, Georgia. It occupies 84 acres and is bordered by railroads on its east and west ends, with its north end defined by Perry Lane Road and its south end bordered by residential and wooded areas. Burnett Creek, a tidally influenced stream, is located on the western end of the site. Municipal wells and most, if not all, of the private wells in the vicinity draw water from the deeper aquifer.
The site was used for wood treatment operations from 1958 until 1991. Each of the three major types of wood treating operations were carried out at the facility: creosote, pentachlorophenol (PCP) – which is associated with dioxin, and chromium/copper/arsenic (CCA).
The site was originally operated by American Creosote Company, which constructed the facility sometime between 1958 and 1960, then sold it shortly afterward. The site was acquired by Escambia Treating Company in 1969 from Georgia Creosoting Company and the
Brunswick Creosoting Company, thought to be the same company. In 1985, a corporate reorganization resulted in the purchase of the facility by the Brunswick Wood Preserving Company, which operated the site until it closed in early 1991.
Threats and Contaminants
During the site’s operation, contamination of the environment resulted from several activities, including poor housekeeping, open dumping into Burnett Creek, and accidental spills. In addition, wastes were sprayed in the air over the IM-4/5 ponds (old impoundments) to reduce waste volumes.
Potential future risks to public health and the environment exist at this site due to contamination which has been documented in shallow ground water, soils/sediments, and Burnett Creek.
Private wells have been sampled extensively in the area since 1991, but have not been impacted by the site.
Site Cleanup Plan
The long-term cleanup plan for the Brunswick Wood Preserving site covers two operable units (OUs): OU-1 (site-wide soils/sediments and groundwater) and OU-2 (ecological risks posed to Burnett Creek and the surface water).
The Record of Decision for OU-1 was issued in 2002. The cleanup approached primarily involved capping (over contaminated soil/sediment) with construction of subsurface barriers (to contain contaminated ground water). Major components of the cleanup approach included:- Construction of two caps over the IM-1/2 and IM-4/5 ponds (old impoundments where creosote was sprayed or dumped), consisting of subcaps, geosynthetic liners, and a 2.5 foot thick soil layer.
- Construction of 3 to 5 foot thick subcaps under the caps, consisting of on-site contaminated soils and sediments.
- Solidification and/or stabilization of the subcap materials.
- Construction of subsurface barrier walls to contain ground water, consisting of slurry-filled trenches.
- On-site ground water treatment using chemical processes to enhance natural breakdown of site contaminants in ground water outside the cap/wall at IM-1/2.
- Long term monitoring to ensure that the remedy is protective.
- Engineering controls to control surface water runoff, dust, air quality, etc. and ensure that Remedial Action Objectives are met during and after putting the remedy in place.
- Institutional controls, such as restrictive covenants, as necessary to restrict future land use and groundwater use.
Cleanup Progress
EPA undertook a number of actions between 1991 and 1995 to address immediate health and safety concerns at the site:
- All but a few of the site structures were demolished and removed.
- Sludges were dewatered.
- Wastewater was treated.
- Drums and lab wastes were disposed off site.
- Poles, lumber, equipment, and scrap were recycled and/or salvaged.
- Large areas of contaminated soil and sludge were excavated.
- Excavated soils and sludge were stored in four waste cells created on site.
More information on the removal action is available on OSCnet.
During 1996-1997, the State of Georgia conducted a removal action. This involved having three of these waste cells transported and disposed off site. A new railroad spur was installed on the site to facilitate the State's removal action.
Construction for the OU-1 remedy began in the summer of 2007.
The old creosote ponds at the site have been dewatered, excavated, and backfilled. The excavated pond sediments and site soils have been stockpiled on site pending startup of the solidification treatment component of the remedy, anticipated in February 2008.
The construction of the subsurface barrier walls is also planned to begin in 2008. Future remedial action will take place as necessary as part of OU-2 to ensure protection of the environment, upon completion of a Baseline Ecological Risk Assessment.
Enforcement Activities
In 1998, EPA sent general notice letters to Kerr-McGee Chemical Corporation and Charles Soule, former president of Escambia Treating Company, notifying them of their potential liability and demanding payment for costs incurred by EPA at the site. After unsuccessful negotiations, EPA referred the case to the Department of Justice for possible filing of a civil action against the parties. The Department of Justice and EPA have continued negotiations for settlement with the parties. No case has yet been filed.
Community Involvement
EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the Brunswick Wood Preserving site to solicit community input and to ensure that the public remains informed about site activities throughout the site cleanup process. Outreach activities have included public notices and information meetings on cleanup progress and activities.
Future Work
Long term monitoring will be performed regularly to ensure that the remedy is protective.
Future remedial action will take place as necessary as part of OU-2 to ensure protection of the environment, upon completion of a Baseline Ecological Risk Assessment.Site Administrative Documents
Site Repository
For more information or to view any site-related documents, please visit the site information repository at the following location. As new documents are generated, they will be placed in the information repository for public information.
Brunswick/Glynn Co. Regional Library
208 Glouchester St.
Brunswick GA 31523
Administrative Record Index
- Removal (PDF) (2 pp, 73K, About PDF)
- OU-1 (PDF) (4 pp, 182K, About PDF)
- OU-2 (PDF) (1 pg, 7K, About PDF)
For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.