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Escambia Wood - Pensacola

Escambia Treating Company Video
Picture of US EPA Remedial Project Manager Erik Spalvins

Video highlighting how EPA has accounted for the community's concerns in the cleanup process at the Escambia site.

Escambia Wood - Pensacola

EPA ID: FLD008168346
Location: Pensacola, Escambia County, FL
Congressional District: 01
NPL Status: Proposed: 08/23/94; Final 12/16/94
Project Manager
Site Repository:
West Florida Regional Library
200 West Gregory ST.
Pensacola, FL 32501
Documents:About Adobe Portable Document Format

Site Background:
The Escambia Treating Company (ETC) site is located at 3910 North Palafox Street, Pensacola, Escambia County, Florida. The 26-acre ETC site, located in a mixed industrial and residential area, is bordered on the north by former residential neighborhoods, on the west by Palafox Street, on the east by a Railroad Switchyard, and on the south by an abandoned concrete plant and small industrial park. The site is an abandoned wood preserving facility that operated from 1942 until its closing in 1982. In October 1991, EPA began a removal action to excavate contaminated materials and to estimate the amount of material to be dealt with in future phases of the cleanup. The removal action was completed in 1992. The excavated material (225,000 cubic yards) is currently stockpiled under secure cover on-site.  Creosote, pentachlorophenol, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and dioxin are the main contaminants found on or immediately adjacent to the facility property, and site-attributable polyaromatic hydrocarbons and dioxin have been identified on surrounding residential tracts.  Naphthalene and pentachlorophenol are the primary contaminants found in groundwater.

In June 1995, EPA nominated the Escambia site as part of a National Relocation Evaluation Pilot. The pilot efforts will be used by EPA to assist in the development of a national relocation policy. The objective of this policy is to determine when relocation should be used in addressing the health threats posed by Superfund sites in a way that reflects community interests, while at the same time making cost-effective and technically sound remedial decisions. On February 12, 1997 EPA issued an Interim Record of Decision which proposed to relocate the approximately 358 households living near the ETC Superfund site.

In 1999, EPA entered into a cooperative agreement with the Escambia County Community Redevelopment Agency. The purpose of the cooperative agreement was to obtain input regarding reasonably anticipated future land use for the ETC site. In late 2000, the Escambia County Community Redevelopment Agency completed it's conceptual redevelopment plans for the site and surrounding areas. EPA considered the County's plan in preparing the site remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS) for operable unit one which involves the evaluation of the source of the release and control measures.  Although the field investigation for the RI/FS included the installation of groundwater monitor wells and the collection of groundwater samples, the actual focus of the RI/FS report is on soil contamination at and near the site. Because the full extent of groundwater contamination from the ETC site will not be defined as part of the operable unit one RI/FS, a separate RI/FS that focuses on groundwater contamination was initiated in July 2000 as operable unit two.

Cleanup Progress: Actual Construction Underway

Actual construction for the interim remedy began in November 1997 when the government purchased the first two single family homes that would be acquired as part of the National Relocation Evaluation Pilot.  Subsequently, the government acquired all of the 170 properties in the Rosewood Terrace, Oak Park and Goulding subdivisions. This acquisition included approximately 158 single family homes a 200 unit apartment complex and 11 residential vacant lots. Over 500 persons have been successfully relocated to comparable replacement housing in the Pensacola and surrounding areas as part of this action.  Following completion of the relocation activities, EPA performed environmental assessment of the abandoned structures prior to beginning demolition activities.  Removal of asbestos (insulation and siding), polychlorinated biphenyl compounds (light ballasts), and mercury (thermostats) was completed, and utility clearance/abandonment was performed.  Demolition activities were completed in August 2005.  During the demolition, over 16,000 cubic yards of waste materials were properly disposed.  Additionally, as part of the interim action, fencing was established or re-established around impacted areas, staged investigation-derived waste was managed, and routine inspection of the stockpiled soil cover was instituted.  Five-Year Reviews of the interim remedy were performed in September 2002 and 2007, and both concluded that the interim remedy is functioning as intended.  The 2007 Five-Year Review also concluded that the final remedy for operable unit 1 should be implemented as soon as practicable.

EPA completed a Record of Decision for operable unit one in February 2006.  The selected remedy, containment/capping with solidification/stabilization of principal threat material, includes the following elements: permanent relocation of Clarinda Triangle residents as an extension of the National Relocation Evaluation Pilot; expansion and lining of existing excavations above the water table; placement of all waste soil below grade; solidification/ stabilization of principal threat material; capping of the waste compatible with commercial reuse; operation, maintenance, and monitoring; institutional controls to restrict future land use; and, five-year reviews.  The selected remedy will address the approximately 400,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil, and includes changes made in consultation with the community and local government.  The remedy will be compatible with the planned future commercial use of the site.  The component of the remedy extending the National Relocation Pilot to the Clarinda Triangle neighborhood is being performed under the interim action, and the first of the approximately 45 additional relocations was completed in December 2006.  Remedial design for the remainder of the operable unit one remedy has been completed in collaboration with the community.  Construction of the operable unit one remedy began in September 2007, and is expected to be completed in mid-2009.

The RI/FS for operable unit two, groundwater, is ongoing.  The remedial investigation was performed through three phases spanning several years, and the nature and extent of groundwater contamination has been sufficiently defined to support remedial decision making.  No human exposure to contaminated groundwater has been identified.  The feasibility study evaluates a range of active remedial alternatives to restore groundwater to its highest and best use.  Additional data collection to refine the evaluation of remedial alternatives was performed during the feasibility study.  A final Record of Decision to address groundwater contamination form the ETC Site will be completed following the feasibility study and consultation with the community.

 

For information about the contents of this page please contact Brenda Lane

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