Gallaway Pits

• Site Profile
• Administrative Record Index (All PDF): OU1 (9 pp., 259K), Removal (8 pp., 305K), Deletion (3 pp., 78K)
• Additional Site Documents including Five Year Reviews, Records of Decisions (ROD) and Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD).
• For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office (http://www.epa.gov/region4/foiapgs/submit.htm).

Site Background:
The Gallaway Pits site is on a 10-acre parcel of land that was extensively mined for sand and gravel, producing a landscape dotted with water-filled pits up to 50 feet deep. The site was used for unauthorized dumping of municipal and industrial wastes. Disposal of hazardous materials at the site occurred for an undetermined period of time, probably in the 1970s and 1980s. Wastes included pesticides, residential/industrial solid waste, trash, and debris. Drums containing liquid waste were drained and/or dumped into the water-filled pits. Approximately 50 homes are located within 0.5 miles of the site, with the closest home being 1,600 feet away. The majority of these homes obtain drinking water from private wells. On-site surface water and soil were contaminated with pesticides, including chlordane and toxaphene, from unauthorized dumping activities. Off-site migration of contaminated surface water and soil posed a potential risk to local residents and the environment.

Cleanup Progress: Construction Completed
The EPA conducted an emergency early action in 1983. Approximately 360,000 gallons of water were treated and 475 cubic yards (66 truckloads) of soil were removed and disposed. EPA issued a ROD for the site in September 1986. In 1987, following the ROD's recommendations, the EPA completed the following activities to clean up the site: contaminated soil and sediments were excavated from the pits and solidified; a cap was designed and built over the soil and sediments; monitoring wells were installed to monitor the cap's integrity; and the contaminated pit-water was treated to meet water quality standards and discharged to a nearby tributary. In 1994, the State of Tennessee applied for a Cooperative Agreement and received additional funding to conduct restoration activities at the site. Upon completion of restoration activities in late 1994, the State took over operation and maintenance of the site remedies. The Notice of Intent to Delete the site from the NPL was signed and published in the Federal Register in February 1996. No comments were received. The final Notice of Deletion was published in the Federal Register in June 1996. All cleanup at the site is complete. A Five-Year Review was completed in 2000. No additional Five-Year Reviews are necessary for the Site since the source of contamination has been removed. No Five-Year Reviews are required for the Site. No further updates are warranted at this time.