United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5502G)
EPA520-F-93-003
Spring 1993
« EPA Su pertu nd At Work
Hazardous Waste Cleanup Efforts Nationwide
Old Midland Products
Site Profile
Site Description:
Former wood preserving plant in
Yell County, Arkansas
Site Size: 38 acres
Primary Contaminants:
Pentachlorophenol (PCP)
and polynuclear aromatic
hydrocarbons (PNAs)
Potential Range of Health Risks:
Liver, kidney, or central nervous
system disorders from direct
contact with contaminants
Nearby Population Affected:
1,500 residents within four miles
Ecological Concerns:
Petit Jean River ecosystem via
Keeland Creek
Year Listed on NPL: 1984
EPA Region: VI
State: Arkansas
Congressional District: 2
Treating Lagoon Liquids At Old Midland Products Site
Contaminated
liquid from
lagoons
pumped into
treatment
tank
Success In Brief
Superfund Site Clean
Enough for Unrestricted Use?
The Old Midland Products site in Yell County, Arkansas was con-
taminated by hazardous chemicals from operations of a wood preserving
plant. The US. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) worked closely
with the Arkansas Department of Pollution Control and Ecology (ADPCE)
to select a cleanup plan to remediate the site, allowing unrestricted use
by 1998. EPA and ADPCE actions consisted of:
• Treating over 11 million gallons of contaminated surface water ,
and lagoon liquids; *
• Employing a highly efficient, transportable incinerator to destroy
more than 85,000 tons of contaminated soil and lagoon sludges
over a short period of time;
• Installing recovery wells to treat an estimated 450,000 gallons of
contaminated ground water; and
• Maintaining effective community relations with local residents to
address their concerns and involve them in the cleanup process.
Because this site was abandoned and no viable parties could be
located to conduct the cleanup, EPA's Superfund program was used to
address the huge volume of wastes. This site serves as an example of
how EPA, state agencies, and local residents can work together to
restore the environment polluted by hazardous waste.
The Site Today
The majority of the contami-
nated soil and lagoon sludges has
been incinerated, and operations
should be completed in April
1993. In addition, the contami-
nated surface water and lagoon-
liquids are currently being
treated. ' ,
Treatment of the contaminated
ground water should be com-
pleted by mid-1998, after which
the site will be re-evaluated to
determine whether it is safe for
unrestricted use.
Decontaminated
liquids removed
from treatment
Activated carbon in tank attracts and retains
contaminants from circulated liquid
IIS Environmental Protection Agency
Region 5, Library (PL-12J)
77 West Jackson Boulevard, 12th Flop/
Chicago, IL 60604-359P
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Superfund At Work
Old Midland Products, Yell County, Arkansas
Spring 1993
The Old Midland Products
site is a 38-acre, former wood
preserving plant in Yell
County, Arkansas that oper-
ated from 1969 to 1979. The
Old Midland Products Com-
pany abandoned the site after
declaring bankruptcy in 1979.
The site is located in a flat,
rural area about one-half mile
east of the town of Ola and
70 miles northwest of the
City of Little Rock Approxi-
mately 190 people live in the
immediate area.
Local residents depend on
private wells which appar-
ently are not contaminated.
Most of the hazardous
waste at the site is confined to
a three-acre area that contains
A Site Snapshot
the wood preserving plant and
seven lagoons used for waste
disposal.
The Petit Jean Wildlif e Man-
agement Area, located upriver
about one mile north of the site, is
Private drinking water
wells near the site
have not shown
any signs of contamination
not endangered. However, sur-
face drainage from the lagoons
could have entered nearby
Keeland Creek, a tributary of the
Petit Jean River.
In addition, there is a chicken
farm and other nearby commer-
cial establishments that could
have been affected if the con-
tamination had migrated off
the site.
Pentachlorophenol (PCP)
and polynuclear aromatic
hydrocarbons (PNAs), chemi-
cals used in the wood preserv-
ing process, are the primary
pollutants. Low levels of less
toxic types of dioxins and
furans have also been detected
on the site.
Direct exposure to these
chemicals has been found to
cause cancer or liver and kidney
damage, as well as disorders of
the central nervous system.
Studies have shown that
area residents have not been
directly exposed to any of these
chemicals.
Old Midland
Products Timeline
• Public comments on remedy selection
• ADPCE and EPA begin remedial investigations
• Site listed on NPL
ADPCE discovers contamination \
A
Superfund legislation enacted
1
Wood preserving chemicals
improperly handled and stored
1969
1979
1980 1981 1984 1985
Page 2
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Superfund At Work
Old Midland Products, Yell County, Arkansas
Spring 1993
EPA and ADPCE Address Contamination
At Old Midland Products Site
Lagoons Most Contaminated
The Arkansas Department of
Pollution Control and Ecology
(ADPCE) first discovered con-
tamination at the site in 1981.
ADPCE asked EPA to determine
whether the site posed immediate
threats to the surrounding com-
munity.
A preliminary assessment
identified the need for a compre-
hensive cleanup. In July 1984, the
Old Midland Products site was
placed on the National Priorities
List (NPL), EPA's roster of uncon-
trolled or abandoned hazardous
waste sites eligible for cleanup
under Superfund.
Between 1985 and 1987, EPA
and ADPCE conducted a reme-
dial investigation at the site to
determine the extent of the
contamination. While most of the
hazardous waste was confined to
three acres, the lagoons contained
Lagoons contained
620,000 gallons of wastes
contaminated with wood
processing chemicals
an estimated 2,770 cubic yards of
contaminated sludges and
620,000 gallons of liquid wastes.
In addition, 23,000 cubic yards
of soil around and under the
lagoons were found to be con-
taminated down to a depth of 14
feet. Almost half a million gallons
of ground water also were pol-
luted in the upper aquifer.
/Old Midland Product!
Yell County, Arkansas
As part of
the study,
EPA and
ADPCE
conducted an
assessment of the health effects
associated with PCP, PNAs, and
dioxins and furans. Soil and water
sampling confirmed that these
chemicals were only found within
the site boundaries. A fence was
erected to prevent any public
access to the site.
Cleanup Alternatives Examined
Following the field investiga-
tions, cleanup alternatives were
evaluated to determine the best
method to remediate the site's
hazardous waste.
Cleanup remedy selected
Remedy design completed
r
Remedial action contract awarded
Wastewater treatment plant installed and water treatment begins
r
Incineration of contaminated materials begins
Contaminated waste incineration completed (planned)
Accelerated treatment of contaminated ground water
begins (planned)
Five year review begins
• Ground water
decontamination
complete (planned)
• Site safe for future
development (planned)
1988
1990 1991 1992 1993 1996
1998
Page 3
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Superfund At Work
Old Midland Products, Yell County, Arkansas
Spring 1993
In November 1987, EPA re-
quested comments from the
ADPCE and the public on the
cleanup alternatives under con-
Cleanup for the site
addressed lagoon liquids,
ground wata*, soil,
sediments, and sludges
sideration. The final cleanup plan
for the Old Midland Products site
addressed lagoon liquids, ground
water, soil, sediments, and sludges.
A major component of the plan
involves treating lagoon liquids
using carbon adsorption. This
technique flushes contaminated
water through tanks filled with
activated carbon that attracts and
retains contaminants.
Eight recovery wells will be
installed to collect ground water
prior to treatment with carbon
adsorption. In addition, soil,
sediments and sludges from the
lagoons and drainage areas are to
be excavated and the contami-
nants destroyed in an on-site,
transportable incinerator.
EPA initially estimated the
total cleanup of the site at $13.8
million with a completion date of
1996. Because the site was aban-
doned, EPA financed 90 percent
and the State of Arkansas funded
10 percent of the cleanup. This is a
state-led project being adminis-
tered by ADPCE.
Clean vapors and steam are released from an exhaust stack at the Old Midland
Products site. Following combustion, air pollution control devices remove acid gases
and particulates.
Cleanup Methods Offer
Permanent Solution
A remedial action contract was
awarded in March 1991 and site
work started in May. The water
treatment facility was completed
in December 1991. Liquids from the
waste lagoons and contaminated
storm water runoff are being
collected and treated on site using
the carbon adsorption system.
Eight ground water recovery
wells will be installed at depths of
35 feet and the liquids pumped
and treated using activated
carbon which retains the contami-
nants. The treated water will be
discharged into a site drainage
ditch. The oil and other contami-
nants removed from the water
will be taken to a licensed com-
mercial facility for disposal.
Ground water recovery should
start by mid-1993, and should be
completed by mid-1998.
A transportable incinerator is
currently employed to destroy
contaminants in the soil and
lagoon sludges at the Old Mid-
land Products site. Hazardous
wastes are burned at extremely
high temperatures to destroy the
organic compounds.
Air pollution control devices
remove acid gases and particu-
lates, so only clean vapors and
steam are released from the
exhaust stacks. The resulting
ash is nonhazardous and placed
in excavated areas on site,
then covered with topsoil and
vegetation.
The incineration is expected to
be completed in April 1993.
After all contaminants in the soil
and lagoon sludges have been
destroyed, the incinerator will
be dismantled.
Page 4
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Superfund At Work
Old Midland Products, Yell County, Arkansas
Spring 1993
Transportable Technology
The incinerator used at the Old Midland
Products site was brought in for cleanup
activities. When remediation is complete it
will be disassembled.
Agencies
Work With
Community
As with any Superfund site,
EPA stresses the importance of
community involvement
throughout the various stages of
cleanup.
EPA and ADPCE worked
closely with local residents to
address their concerns about the
Old Midland Products site.
One resident who lives near
the site was concerned about the
quality of her drinking water. She
informed ADPCE and EPA, and
was connected to the local city
water system at a minimal cost.
continued on next page
Transportable Incinerator.
Model of Efficiency
The incinerator used at die
Old Midland Products ate was
required to meet strict stan-
dards for efficiency due to the
presence of low levels of dioxins.
To meet _—
these stan-
dards, trial
burn tests were
conducted to
determine the
destruction and
results in June 1992.
The average continuous
operation time for incinerators
is seven to ten days. However,
the Old Midland Products
************ incinerator has
The incinerator °Pffl?tod ,
continuously
for as long as 63
has destroyed
more than 85,000 tons ^M g ^ ^^
of contaminated material klnger'than
•"""•"•"""•"••••"•"•""•ll'™11 historically has
removal efficiency (DRE) for been achieved by other compa-
selected principal organic
hazardous constituents (POCs)
The incinerator at the Old
Midland Products site was
able to demonstrate the
99.9999% DRE requirement
for pentachlorophenol,
dioxins and furans using
1,2,4-trichlorobenzene in the
trial burn.
In addition, the incinerator
achieved other performance
specifications that included
demonstrating a 99.99% DRE
rable facilities.
As a result the incinerator
has been able to destroy more
than 85,000 tons of ccaitaminated
material in a 10-month period.
Originally, the cleanup plan
estimated that six tons of con-
taminated material could be
destroyed per hour, but the
incinerator has averaged almost
17 tons.
This rate of efficiency proved
critical to the site cleanup
because EPA later discovered
more contaminated soil and
lagoon sludges. Despite the
for other POCs, for control of
hydrogen chloride emissions,
and for control of particulate higher volume of waste, the
emissions. Full-time operations cleanup should still be corn-
began soon after final ADPCE pleted on schedule.
and EPA approval of the test
In an average hour of operation,
the incinerator destroys nearly
17 tons of contaminated material
Page 5
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Superfund At Work
Old Midland Products, Yell County, Arkansas
Spring 1993
Federal and State Agencies
Work Closely With Community
continued from page 5
Although no signs of contamina-
tion were present in tests of her
well, the potential existed for
ground water contamination.
Unlike other environmental
statutes, Superfund is unique in
that public participation is relied
upon for the selection of the
cleanup remedy.
At the Old Midland Products
site, ADPCE and EPA held public
meetings and wrote several fact
sheets to educate local residents
about incinerator technology.
By demonstrating the safety of
incineration, the community has
learned that this was the most
effective remedy for the huge
volumes of waste at the site.
In just a few years, the Old
Midland Products site can be
converted to more productive
uses, having greater benefits for
the residents.
When incineration is complete at the Old Midland Products site,
the transportable incinerator will be disassembled
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Success at
Old Midland
Products
Site
EPA and the Arkansas
Department of Pollution
Control and Ecology
(ADPCE) are proceeding
with the cleanup of the Old
Midland Products site.
The transportable incin-
erator selected to treat haz-
ardous waste serves as a
model of efficiency and
safety. EPA and ADPCE
worked closely with local
residents to address their
concerns about the risks
posed by pollution at the site.
The cleanup is proceeding
on schedule and should
allow the site to be safe for
future development by 1998,
after completing the treat-
ment of the contaminated
ground water.
For additional copies of this or other Superfund At Work updates, contact the National Technical Information Service,
U.S. Department of Commerce, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161, telephone (703) 487-4650.
vvEPA
United States Environmental Protection Agency
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