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American Creosote Works, Inc.
National Information
Photos/Multimedia
Trailer on American Creosote Works site.
- Additional Site Photos
- Site Video
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: MSD004006995Location: Louisville, Winston County, Mississippi
Lat/Long: 33.111110, -089.058330
Congressional District: 03
NPL Status: Proposed: 6/14/2001; Final: 9/13/2001
Affected Media: Ground water, Sediment, Soil
Cleanup Status: Physical cleanup activities have not started.
Site Reuse/Redevelopment: Anticipated commercial/industrial use
Site Manager: Michael Arnett (arnett.michael@epa.gov)
Site Background
The American Creosote Works Superfund site is a former wood treating facility that pressure-treated wood products with creosote oil and coal tar solutions. The site is located off Highway 15 at the intersection of South Railroad Avenue and Baremore Street, within the city limits of Louisville, Mississippi. The site is approximately 120 acres in size and is situated in an industrial/commercial/residential area. South Railroad Avenue borders the site to the east. Hughes Creek borders the site to the west. Railroad Lake, approximately seven acres in area, is located on the northern portion of the site. A residential neighborhood borders Railroad Lake to the west and north.
The facility began operation in 1912 and operated as a creosote wood treating facility under several owners until approximately 1997. Until the early 1980s, the facility utilized three unlined lagoons or ponds that received discharges of creosote waste. Past discharges from the facility have entered Hughes Creek. The facility ceased operations in the late 1990s, leaving a number of large storage tanks, drums, and process equipment containing creosote contamination. The site is now inactive and is overgrown with scattered to dense vegetated areas.Threats and Contaminants
The greatest current risk to human health and the environment at the site comes from contaminated soils and sediments. These materials are resulting in, or could result in, ground water and surface water contamination. Individuals could also potentially be directly exposed to these materials.
The key chemicals of concern (COCs) at the site are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Site Cleanup Plan
A Record of Decision (ROD) was issued in 2007 to address remaining contamination in soils and ground water at the site. Major components of the cleanup approach included.
- Demolition of the existing structures, pavement, etc.
- Excavation of surface and subsurface soil, sediment, and debris outside of the proposed disposal area which contain COCs above site-specific cleanup goals.
- Conduct confirmation sampling and analysis of the excavated areas to ensure that cleanup goals are met.
- Consolidate the excavated material within the on-site disposal area.
- Construct a subsurface barrier wall around the disposal area to isolate the contaminated ground water above cleanup goals.
- Construct a low permeability cap over the disposal area and subsurface barrier wall.
- Backfill the excavated areas with clean soil to the pre-cleanup action grades.
- Place a 6-inch layer of topsoil over backfilled areas, grade, compact, seed, and mulch.
- Implement a monitoring plan to ensure that the remedy remains protective.
- Implement institutional controls to control, limit, and monitor activities on-site and to prohibit the usage of ground water at the site.
Cleanup Progress
In 1984-1985, EPA undertook an emergency removal action to address two uncontrolled waste sites (sludge lagoons) at the site. Approximately 70,000 cubic yards of creosote sludge and highly contaminated soils were excavated and solidified. The solidified material was placed in an on-site unlined storage cell and then covered with about two to three feet of clay. The clay cap was graded so that surface water run-on/run-off would flow around the storage cell. Topsoil was placed on the cap, and the area was seeded with grass.
In 1999-2000, EPA undertook a second emergency removal action at the site to address the overflow of creosote waste from the containment areas and process tanks abandoned on site. A total of 20 tanks were decommissioned, 176,000 gallons of wastewater were treated, 192 tons of metal were recycled, 200 tons of hazardous debris and 60 tons of nonhazardous debris were disposed, nine lab packs were transported off site for disposal, and 4,000 cubic yards of solidified waste was stockpiled for on-site disposal. A temporary storage cell for the waste and waste encapsulation was also constructed.
In 2006-2007, a third removal action was initiated at the site to stop the seepage of creosote into Hughes Creek in an area just north of Baremore Street. This action consisted of the installation of a line of sheet piling adjacent to the creek.
Enforcement Activities
EPA has been unable to identify any viable potentially responsible parties for the site.
Community Involvement
EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the American Creosote Works 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 fact sheets, public notices and information meetings on cleanup progress and activities.
Future Work
An investigation of contaminated ground water in Area B is still continuing; possible cleanup approaches are being considered.
The next FYR for the site will take place by 2013.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.
Winston County Library
301 West Park Street
Louisville, Mississippi 39339
For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.