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Coleman-Evans Wood Preserving Company
National Information
Photos/Multimedia
Remediation equipment at the Coleman Evans 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)
Site Summary Profile
EPA ID: FLD991279894Location: Whitehouse, Duval County, FL
Lat/Long: 30.313880, -081.842780
Congressional District: 06
NPL Status: Proposed: 12/30/82; Final: 09/08/83
Affected Media: Ground water, Liquid Waste, Soil
Cleanup Status: Construction complete: physical cleanup activities have been completed.
Site Reuse/Redevelopment: Planned community park, including community center, skateboard park, basketball, tennis, and handball courts
Site Manager: Rusty Kestle (kestle.rusty@epa.gov)
Site Background
The Coleman-Evans Wood Preserving site is located in the community of Whitehouse, Florida in Duvall County approximately eight miles west of downtown Jacksonville. The site is bordered on the north by the CSX Railroad, on the south by residential homes along General Avenue, on the east by a low-lying wooded area, and on the west by residential homes across Celery Avenue.
The site is an 11-acre former wood preserving facility. From 1954 to the mid-1980s, wood products were pressure treated at the site with a mixture of pentachlorophenol and fuel oil. The wastewater from the treatment process was discharged into a drainage ditch, which channeled the water south to McGirts Creek. The drainage ditch often overflowed spreading pentachlorophenol and dioxin contamination over most of the site and through the residential neighborhood. All of the residences in the vicinity of the site use private wells as a source of drinking water. It is estimated that there are 180 domestic wells within a one mile radius of the site and 1,620 wells within a three mile radius.
Although wood treating operations ceased in the late 1980s, sawing and kiln drying of untreated lumber continued at the site until mid-1994. Currently, all commercial activities at the site have ceased.Threats and Contaminants
Soil, sediment, and shallow ground water in the residential area adjacent to the site were contaminated with pentachlorophenol and dioxin. Since the shallow aquifer is separated from the deeper drinking water aquifer by an impermeable layer of clay, area residents are generally at risk only from direct contact with contaminated soil or sediment. However, ingestion of contaminated ground water from the shallow aquifer is also a potential health threat due to possible defects in drinking water wells.
Between 1986 and 1994, EPA conducted several emergency response actions at the site to address immediate threats that could impact residents living near the site. See Cleanup Progress below for more details.Site Cleanup Plan
Between 1986 and 1994, EPA conducted several emergency response actions at the site to address immediate threats that could impact residents living near the site.
During emergency cleanup actions, EPA began selecting options for additional cleanup of the site.
A Record of Decision (ROD), describing the cleanup plan for the site was issued in 1986. This plan was later amended in 1990 and once again in 1997. Explanation of Significant Differences (ESDs) were issued in 2001, 2003, 2004, and 2005 clarifying minor changes in the cleanup approach selected.
The 1997 Amended ROD, as modified by the subsequent ESDs, sets forth the basis for the cleanup approach at the site. The approach included the excavation of on-site and off-site contaminated soil and sediment followed by an innovative on-site thermal soil treatment called thermal desorption. The cleanup approach also called for collecting and treating contaminated ground water and treatment on site via granular activated carbon.
The selected cleanup standards to guide site cleanup were considered final for all contaminants and all media (e.g., soil, ground water) except for dioxin in soil. The final cleanup standard, and any additional action necessary to address dioxin in soil below the national recommended standard of 1.0 μg/kg, would be performed subsequent to this cleanup action.
In 2005, an ESD was issued to implement monitored natural attenuation (reliance upon microorganisms to break down contamination) for remaining ground water contamination as an alternative to using a long term pump and treat system.
A final ROD to address the residual dioxin in site soils was issued in September 2006. The overall cleanup strategy is to remove remaining soil contaminated with low levels of dioxin attributable to the former facility from nearby properties and dispose of the soil on the former facility property. Major components of the cleanup approach included:
- Excavation of soil delineated with attributable dioxin contamination above the selected cleanup goals (noted in Table 6 of the ROD) with restoration of affected properties with clean soil.
- Placement of the soil on the pre-graded former facility property and installation of two feet of vegetated soil cover.
- Use of a restrictive covenant to limit future land use to compatible commercial/recreational purposes.
- Five-Year Reviews of the cleanup approach used to ensure protectiveness is maintained.
Cleanup Progress
Between 1986 and 1994, EPA conducted several emergency response actions at the site to address immediate threats that could impact residents living near the site. These emergency response actions included: 1) excavating two on-site sludge disposal pits, including 1,000 pounds of pure pentachlorophenol, and disposing of the waste off site, 2) removing contaminated structures on site, 3) installing a temporary fence at the drainage ditch north and south of General Avenue to keep children from playing with contaminated sediment in the drainage ditch, 4) excavating contaminated soil and sediment in the residential area and placing it on site, and 5) installing permanent fencing and warning signs around the site pending final response actions.
Treatment of contaminated soil began in 1999 and was completed in 2004 when cleanup standards specified in the 1997 Amended ROD were achieved sitewide. A wastewater treatment plant also was installed on site during this time to treat contaminated ground water and surface water runoff. As a result:
- Over 210,000 tons of soil were treated.
- Approximately 320,000 gallons of hazardous liquids (emulsified oils) were segregated and disposed.
- Over 2,000 cubic yards of hazardous solids (including demolition debris, filter media, and sludges) were disposed.
- Approximately 73,500,000 gallons of ground water and storm water have been treated and discharged.
The first Five-Year Review for the site completed in 2004 found that the cleanup approach was protective of human health and the environment. Several years of monitoring data have also indicated that the use of monitored natural attenuation to address remaining ground water contamination is working. Monitoring will continue until cleanup levels have been attained. In 2007, a cleanup design was completed to address excavation and restoration of the dioxin-contaminated cleanup target areas, disposal of the soil on the facility property, installation of a 2-ft. soil cover, and stormwater management. Physical cleanup actions were completed in September 2007. Institutional controls, such as restrictive covenants, are being developed to ready the property for reuse.
All cleanup actions at the site to date have been conducted by EPA due to the financial inability of the potentially responsible party to fund such activities.
Enforcement Activities
In 1981, Coleman-Evans was found by EPA to be in violation of hazardous waste reporting, planning, and safety requirements enforced under the Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA). In 1983, the Coleman-Evans site was listed as final on the National Priorities List.
In that same year, Coleman-Evans was identified by EPA as a generator and storer of hazardous waste, in violation of RCRA requirements.
In 1984, a site investigation was delayed by the refusal of Coleman-Evans to allow access to the site. As a result, EPA and the Department of Justice filed a motion in Federal Court to obtain an order granting access to the site. In June 1985, EPA and its agents were granted access to the Coleman-Evans property.
In that same year, EPA issued a Section 106 Removal Order to Coleman-Evans pursuant to the Superfund law. Coleman-Evans did not comply with the Section 106 Removal Order. As a result, EPA conducted Emergency Response Actions in 1985 and 1993 to control the major sources of pentachlorophenol contamination in the upper surficial aquifer and to protect nearby residents from exposure.
In October 1986, a General Notice Letter was issued to Coleman-Evans to implement the Remedial Design/Remedial Action (RD/RA). Citing financial inability, Coleman-Evans declined to implement the RD/RA.
In December 1987, a Special Notice Letter was issued by EPA, giving Coleman-Evans an opportunity to enter into negotiations with EPA to implement the RD/RA. Citing financial inability, Coleman-Evans again declined to implement the RD/RA.
In April 1988, Section 106 Order under the Superfund law was issued to Coleman-Evans to implement the RD/RA. In response, Coleman-Evans requested a settlement conference with EPA. In April and May 1988, Demand Letters were issued to Coleman-Evans and Jack Coleman (president) for past costs incurred in the 1985 Ecological Risk Assessment. In July 1988, the Department of Justice filed a civil action against Coleman-Evans, seeking recovery of those funds and punitive damages for failure to comply with the Section 106 Order. Due to refusal to cooperate by Coleman-Evans with the Section 106 Order, EPA decided to use federal funding to implement the RD.Community Involvement
EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the Coleman Evans 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 meetings on cleanup activities and ground water monitoring data and activities.
Fact Sheets
- Reuse Success Fact Sheet (2009) (PDF) (2 pp, 414K)
- Phase 1 Completion Announcement (PDF) (2 pp, 753K)
Future Work
Monitoring to ensure that monitored natural attenuation of contaminated ground water will continue until cleanup levels have been attained.
Five-Year Reviews will be conducted in the future to ensure that the cleanup approach used to address all remaining contamination is protective of human health. The next Five-Year Review is expected by 2009.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.
Whitehouse Elementary School
1160 General Ave.
Whitehouse, FL 32220
Administrative Record Index
- Removal (PDF) (6 pp, 166K)
- Amendment (PDF) (13 pp, 761K)
- OU-2, October 2006 (PDF) (2 pp, 94K)
- OU-1 ESD (PDF) (2 pp, 114K)
- OU-1 ESD 2 (PDF) (1 pg, 44K)
- OU-1 ESD 3 (PDF) (2 pp, 36K)
- OU-1 ESD 4 (PDF) (2 pp, 37K)
For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.