Tennessee NPL/NPL Caliber Cleanup Site Summaries

n September 2003, the PRP signed an Administrative Order on Consent to perform a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study at the Site.  Samples have been collected from soil, surface water, sediment, and groundwater during 2004 and 2005.  Diesel fuel and related constituents are the most common contaminants, particularly near fueling areas at the Site.  The Remedial Investigation Report was completed in late 2006.  The contaminants in soil and groundwater at the Site do not pose unacceptable risks to workers at the Site.  There are no drinking water wells at the Site or in the area around the Site.  Groundwater contamination is generally limited to portions of the Site property. 

However, further action may still be necessary to comply with federal or state requirements.  A Feasibility Study will be prepared to evaluate methods to address the diesel contamination in soil and shallow groundwater near the middle of the property.  In the short term, the railroad has installed a groundwater well skimmer system to recover some petroleum from below ground near the fueling area at the Site.  The Performance of the system will be evaluated as part of the Feasibility Study to determine if a larger system would be appropriate.  The Feasibility Study may be completed by the end of 2008.

Also, the railyard continues with significant construction at the Site, including the expansion of the rail lines and the replacement of some buildings at the Site.   In February 2007, lead contaminated soil was removed from the area intended for a new locomotive repair building.  The contaminated soil was trucked to a permitted disposal facility.

Construction activities are ongoing during 2008.  Currently, the railroad is changing the layout of railroad tracks within the yard.  Soil underneath the tracks is excavated as necessary to allow for the required new slope of the various tracks.  Excavated soil that is not used under the revised tracks is placed in a borrow area on the northwest corner of the railyard property.  The railroad performed soil sampling and a risk assessment before beginning significant work on these tracks.  Arsenic was detected in some of the soil samples, but exposure to the soils does not pose a risk to people at the railyard.  Work on the rail lines may be completed by the end of 2008.