Escambia Wood Treating

Pensacola, Florida

Site Description

The Escambia Wood Treating Company site is located on a 26-acre parcel of
land in the City of Pensacola, Escambia County, Florida. The site was first
developed in 1942 as a manufacturing facility of wood products treated with
creosote. From 1944 to approximately 1970, coal-tar creosote was used as the
primary wood preservative. Pentachlorophenol (PCP) dissolved in No. 6 diesel
fuel was used at the facility as a preservative from 1963 until 1970. Beginning
in 1970, PCP was the sole preservative in use until the facility was abandoned
in 1991. Creosote, PCP, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and dioxin are the main
contaminants found in soil on or immediately adjacent to the facility property,
and site-attributable polyaromatic hydrocarbons and dioxin have been identified
on surrounding residential tracts. Impacts from soil contamination have affected
some 96 acres.

Current Site Status and Cleanup Actions to Date

•	The Escambia Treating Company filed for bankruptcy in 1991 and in so
doing, defaulted on its environmental liabilities. The case was referred
to the U.S. Department of Justice to pursue settlement with the owner,
and a final settlement was reached in 2002. The site was placed on the
National Priorities List in 1994.

•	EPA performed a removal action during 1991-1992 that involved
disposing of abandoned chemicals, demolishing facility structures,
excavating and stockpiling approximately 225,000 cubic yards of heavily
contaminated soil, and fencing the former facility property.

•	From 1997 to 2003 EPA permanently relocated 358 households,
demolished existing structures and conducted site maintenance. These
actions were consistent with the 1997 interim Record of Decision (ROD)
and were completed at a cost of approximately $24 million dollars.

•	EPA issued the final ROD in 2006 to address the contaminated soils at
the site. The selected remedy includes containment in a lined/capped
system; treatment of source material with solidification/stabilization; and
ongoing operation, maintenance and monitoring.

•	The remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS) to address the
ground water contamination is ongoing. A final ROD is planned for
2008.

Current Site Status and Cleanup Actions to Date

•	In FY 2007, EPA obligated approximately $2.0 million to start
construction of the remedy to address contaminated soils.

For more information about this site, please read the Escambia Wood Treating
Fact Sheet on the Region 4 Superfund Web Site.	

Key



Accomplishments

•

Disposal of



abandoned



chemicals,



demolition of



facility structures,



excavation and



stockpiling of



approximately



225,000 cubic



yards of heavily



contaminated soil,



and fencing of the



facility property



have all been



accomplished.

•

More than 350



households have



been permanently



relocated.

•

The remedial



action to address



contaminated soils



has begun.

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