American	(<)
Creosote
Works	Site 3>
Pensacola, Florida	December 1999
In May 1999, EPA selected
a new remedy for cleaning
up contaminated soil, sludge,
and sediment at the American
Creosote Works Superfund
Site ("ACW Site") in Pensa-
cola, Florida (see Figure 1).
This fact sheet describes the
remedy that EPA chose and
provides an update on other
cleanup activities at the Site.
The fact sheet discusses
activities at the Site since
issuance of the last fact sheet
in January 1999. Previous fact
sheets are available by request
or can be reviewed at the
information repository which
is located at the West Florida
Regional Library.
Words appearing in bold
are defined in the glossary
on page 4.
EPA Selects
New Cleanup
Remedy for Soils
Note: The ACW Site has been
divided into two phases of work,
known as "Operable Units." Oper-
able Unit 1 addresses contaminated
soil, sludge, and sediment, which
represents the source of contami-
nation at the Site. Operable Unit 2
addresses groundwater contami-
nation.
In May 1 999, following a public
comment period and public
meeting, EPA signed an Amended
Record of Decision (ROD) selecting
a cleanup remedy for Operable
Unit 1 (soil, sludge, and sediment).
The Amended ROD made changes
to the cleanup plan outlined in the
1989 ROD for the Site.
The 1989 ROD called for biological
treatment to address soil contamina-
tion. Biological treatment is a
cleanup process that uses naturally
occurring or specially cultivated
microorganisms to digest contami-
nants and break them down into
nonhazardous components. How-
ever, following testing of the tech-
nology, EPA determined biological
treatment would not be effective on
all chemicals present in the soils.
Therefore, the Amended ROD
selected a new remedy.
The new remedy involves consoli-
dating and containing contaminated
soil, sludge, and sediment on site.
The function of the remedy is to
isolate the waste and prevent the
chemicals contained in the waste
from moving into surrounding areas.
The surface of the waste will be
covered with a specially designed
asphalt cap to prevent erosion and
rain infiltration. Drainage channels
will be installed around the perim-
eter of the cap to manage storm-
water runoff. The groundwater in
the vicinity of the capped area will
be monitored to evaluate the
effectiveness of the remedy.
Other components of the selected
remedy include:
•	Demolish, decontaminate, and
dispose of foundations and
debris in an off-site landfill.
•	Excavate contaminated soil in
residential areas and the
Pensacola Yacht Club (PYC) that
exceeds EPA's remedial goals
Information Session.. .EPA will hold an information session for the
community to discuss cleanup progress and potential redevelopment of the ACW
Site. The information session will be held at the Sanders Beach Community Center
on Thursday, lanuary 13, 2000. Stop by anytime between 5 and 7 p.m.
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Figure 1 - Site Map
Groundwater
Treatment









£
DNAPL
Storage Tan
MBLE STREET
Office Trailer|
CYPRESS STREET
SONIA STREET
YACHT CLUB
A
Former RR Tracks
Existing Fence
New Fence
SANDERS
BEACH
COMMUNITY
CENTER
DNAPL Recovery
Wells & Piping
not to
PENSACOLA BAY
and consolidate these materials
on the ACW property.
•	Backfill excavated areas with
clean fill, regrade, and land-
scape.
•	Excavate contaminated sediment
in the PYC drainage ditch that
exceeds EPA's remedial goal
(to a maximum depth of
3 feet) and consolidate this
material on the ACW property.
•	Regrade, revegetate, and restore
the disturbed areas of the ditch.
•	Repair or replace existing
security fence around the
Site as needed.
•	Provide periodic sampling of
sediment in the PYC drainage
ditch and regular maintenance
of the cap on the ACW property.
EPA Addresses
Public Comments
on the Soils Remedy
Prior to issuing the Amended
ROD, EPA held a public com-
ment period and public meeting to
gather input on its preferred alterna-
tive for cleaning up Site soil, sludge,
and sediment. Numerous comments
were received; the primary concerns
raised related to the preferred
alternative for the PYC ditch sedi-
ment and the adequacy of the
residential sampling program.
Based on public input, EPA modified
the remedy presented in the Pro-
posed Plan for the PYC ditch
sediment. Originally, EPA proposed
removing contaminated sediment
from the PYC ditch and installing
culverts to replace the stormwater
management function of the ditch.
However, based on concerns
expressed by the City of Pensacola
Engineering Department, PYC,
Bayou Chico Association, and the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, EPA, in consultation
with the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection (FDEP),
chose to excavate the contaminated
sediment and restore the PYC ditch
to its original condition.
Residents also raised concern about
the residential soil sampling pro-
gram, suggesting that the depth
(3 inches) and areal extent of the
sampling were inadequate. While
EPA maintains that its residential
sampling program for the Site has
been thorough and comprehensive,
EPA recognizes the potential for
deeper contamination in the surface
drainage area immediately south of
the former lagoons. To address this
concern, a supplemental sampling
effort was conducted by the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers - Mobile
District in March 1 999, which
included collecting samples from
the surface to about 3 feet deep. The
results of this sampling effort are
discussed on page 4.
U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers Assumes
Site Cleanup
In March 1 999, the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers - Mobile
District (USACE), under an agree-
ment with EPA, took over operations
at the Site. With oversight from EPA
and FDEP, USACE will be respon-
sible for operating and maintaining
the current groundwater treatment
system and for designing and
building the containment remedy.
USACE has extensive experience
designing and building similar
cleanup remedies at Superfund sites
throughout the country.
2 • December 1999
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Design and
Construction
of Soils Remedy
The 90 percent design of the soils
cleanup remedy is expected to
be complete in March, with the final
design complete by early summer
2000. Following approval of the
final design by EPA and FDEP, the
agencies will negotiate a Superfund
State Contract in which EPA will
seek to secure 10 percent in match-
ing funds from the State required
by the Superfund law for construc-
tion of the remedy. EPA anticipates
that construction will begin in the
fall of 2000 and last approximately
one year.
Redevelopment
of the Site
The Superfund Redevelopment
Initiative is EPA's new national
effort to return the country's most
hazardous waste sites to productive
use by selecting cleanup remedies
Figure 2 - March 1999 Soil Sample Locations
American
Creosote
Works Site
PNE STREET
CYPRESS STREET
Residential Structure | Site Boundary © Sample Location
that are consistent with the antici-
pated future use of the sites. While
EPA's primary mission is to protect
human health and the environment,
Superfund cleanups have also been
instrumental in returning contami-
nated sites to productive use. The
Agency has increasingly recognized
the need to work with communities
as part of the cleanup process to
determine what future use of the site
is likely to be, so that EPA can try to
make the cleanup protective for that
use. For more information, visit
EPA's Superfund Redevelopment
Initiative web site at www.epa.gov/
superfund/programs/recycle.
In this spirit, EPA is in active discus-
sions with the City of Pensacola
regarding the potential redevelop-
ment of the ACW Site once it is
cleaned up. In an October 29, 1 999
letter to EPA, the City indicated its
interest in obtaining ownership of
the Site in order to redevelop it,
providing EPA caps the Site with
materials that provide protection of
human health and the environment
while allowing for commercial
utilization. In response,
EPA has revised the
design to include a
modified asphalt cap
rather than a soils cap.
This change results in
a potential savings of
$300,000 in project
costs. The asphalt cap
also will provide a
better surface for
-j. f future redevelopment
-Al of the Site.
Results of
Residential
Soil
Sampling
In March 1999,
USACE conducted
a residential soil
sampling program to
delineate potential
areas of contamination
SITE HISTORY
T he 18-acre ACW Site is located
one mile southwest of the inter-
section of Garden and Palafox Streets
and 600 yards north of Pensacola Bay
and Bayou Chico (see Figure 1). Wood
preserving operations were carried out
at the Site from 1 902 until 1 981. Creo-
sote and pentachlorophenol (PCP)
were two preservatives used at the
Site. Wastes from these operations
contaminated soils and groundwater.
In 1 983, EPA placed the ACW Site on
the National Priorities List, EPA's list
of top priority hazardous waste sites
in the country. EPA conducted numer-
ous investigations and found chemi-
cal contamination in on-site and off-
site soil, sediment, and groundwater.
In 1985, EPA signed a Record of
Decision (ROD) for cleaning up the
soils and sediments. EPA's remedy was
to place these materials in a landfill
on the Site. The State of Florida dis-
agreed with this decision, citing the
need for more information. Conse-
quently, EPA evaluated other options
and in 1989 signed a ROD selecting
bioremediation to treat the surface
soils. Bioremediation is a process that
uses naturally occurring microorgan-
isms to digest contaminants and break
them down into nonhazardous com-
ponents. Subsequent studies showed
that bioremediation would not be ef-
fective on some of the chemicals
found at the Site. In May 1999, EPA
issued an Amended ROD selecting
on-site containment and capping.
EPA signed a ROD in 1994 select-
ing a two-phase approach to clean up
the groundwater. Phase one involves
the removal of dense nonaqueous
phase liquids (DNAPLs). Phase two
will involve cleaning the groundwa-
ter. EPA completed construction and
began operation of Phase I, the
DNAPL removal system, in 1998.
In the summer of 1997, EPA and
FDEP signed a Superfund State con-
tract in which EPA secured 1 0 percent
in matching funds from the State re-
quired by the Superfund law for con-
struction and start-up of the DNAPL
recovery system. In March 1999, EPA
hired the U.S. Army Corps of Engi-
neers - Mobile District to operate the
DNAPL recovery system and design
the on-site containment remedy for
soil, sludge, and sediment.
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American Creosote Works Site - Pensacola, Florida • 3

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just southwest of the Site. Soil
samples were collected from three
single family properties and one
condominium complex (see Figure
2). A total of 39 samples were
collected from 13 locations at
depths ranging from 0 to 3 feet
deep. USACE did not detect con-
taminants above EPA's remedial
goals at two of the residences along
K Street; therefore, these properties
will not require excavation. Con-
taminants at levels exceeding EPA's
remedial goals were found on the
condominium complex property
and on the residential property
located at the northwest corner of
Cypress and K Street. EPA and
USACE plan to excavate contami-
nated soils from these locations and
backfill with clean soil. The con-
taminated materials will be brought
onto the ACW property, consoli-
dated with other materials, and
capped. EPA and USACE will be
coordinating closely with the
condominium complex and the
residential property owner during
the construction phase of the
project.
In November 1999, USACE col-
lected additional soil samples from
several on- and off-site locations.
The samples are currently being
analyzed by a laboratory. EPA will
report the results once they become
available.
Progress of
DNAPL Recovery
Since 1998, EPA and its contrac-
tors have operated a system for
removing dense nonaqueous phase
liquids (DNAPLs) from the aquifer
beneath the Site. The DNAPLs
contain creosote, a chemical once
used at the Site. To date, a total of
25,000 gallons of DNAPL has been
removed from the groundwater and
shipped to Giant Cement in
Norwood, North Carolina. The most
recent shipment—4,700 gallons—
was sent in October 1 999. At Giant
Cement, the DNAPLs are burned as
fuel for a cement kiln. In March
1999, the USACE took over opera-
tion of the system.
During the summer of 1999, the
DNAPL recovery system was struck
by lightning, which damaged the
power supplies, circuit boards,
controls, and instrumentation. The
system was shut down for two
weeks while the power supplies and
circuit boards were replaced and
reprogrammed. Since then, USACE
has been operating the system
manually while they repair the
controls and instrumentation. In
addition, USACE is working on
system enhancements, including
installing well sensors to provide
maximum creosote extraction.
Glossary
Aquifer: an underground formation
of sand, soil, rock, or gravel that can
store and supply groundwater to
wells or springs.
Creosote: A colorless to yellowish
greasy liquid with a smoky odor and
burned taste used as a wood preser-
vative. In waste form, usually an
oily black liquid.
DNAPL (Dense Nonaqueous Phase
Liquids): DNAPLs can include
creosote, solvents, and pesticides.
DNAPLs are heavier than water and
sink until they settle on the bottom
of an aquifer, forming pools of pure
waste that slowly dissolve in the
surrounding water.
Groundwater: The supply of fresh
water found beneath the Earth's
surface (usually in aquifers) that is
often used for supplying wells and
springs.
Sediment: Solid material, such as
sand, soil, and minerals, that have
settled to the bottom of a body of
water.
Superfund: A Superfund site is an
area contaminated by hazardous
substances that pose a threat to
human health and the environment,
where EPA's Superfund program
either funds the cleanup of the site,
works with the state to clean up the
site, or oversees cleanup by those
responsible for the contamination.
EPA lists the hazardous waste sites
that are our country's priority for
cleanup on its National Priorities
List (NPL).
For More Information...
Call EPA's Information Line
If you have any questions about this project,
call EPA at 1-800-435-9234 and speak with
Mark Fite, Remedial Project Manager
Visit the Information Repository
Reports and plans for the ACW Site are located at:
West Florida Regional Library
200 West Gregory St., Pensacola, FL 32501
850-435-1763
Viaitiis omthe WHbiat www.epa.gov/Region4

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