Mid-Atlantic Superfund

EPA Region 3 (Mid-Atlantic)

Virginia
Suffolk County
Chuckatuck

EPA ID# VAD003117389

4th Congressional District

Last Update: August 2008

Other Names

None

Current Site Status

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is continuing a long-term groundwater cleanup to protect Godwin's Mill Pond Reservoir, located less than 500 feet from the Saunders Supply Company Site. The groundwater collection, treatment, and monitoring system was constructed in April 1998, shortly before EPA implemented the long-term, or remedial, cleanup. Remedial action began in November 1998 and was completed in November 1999. It included demolition, excavation and off-site incineration and disposal of 27,886 tons of contaminated soil and sediments, and removal of the concrete pad. EPA will continue treating and monitoring the groundwater. Although flooding of the roadway occurred historically, an unplanned consequence of the remedial action was more frequent flooding in the area of the site. EPA designed and constructed a storm sewer in the summer of 2001 and subsequently performed other storm water management work to alleviate this additional flooding. Monitoring of this situation indicates that the flooding in that area seems to have subsided.

A Five-Year Review Report was issued on December 29, 2004. The finding of the five-year review is that the remedy for the site is protective of human health and the environment in the short term. All threats at the site associated with ingestion or dermal contact with contaminated soil and sediment have been addressed through excavation and off-site treatment and disposal. There are no exposures to the contaminated ground water because everyone in the vicinity of the site is connected to the city of Suffolk public water supply and the ground water extraction system has prevented contamination from reaching either Godwins Millpond or MW-19D, the EPA monitoring well closest to the pond. A long-term protectiveness determination cannot be made until EPA delineates the plume in the Yorktown aquifer (the deeper ground water zone) and evaluates the effectiveness of the ground water extraction system on remediating the contamination in the Yorktown aquifer. The next five-year review report is due by December 2009.

Site Description

The Saunders Supply Company Site, located in Suffolk County, Virginia, is a 7-1/3 acre former wood treating plant. Although wood treating operations ceased in June 1991, it is still an active lumber yard. Between 1964 and 1984, a mixture of pentachlorophenol (PCP) and fuel oil was used as the wood preservative. In 1974, the chromated copper arsenate process was added. Part of the spent PCP/oil sludge was disposed of by burning it in an unlined pit or a conical burner on site, resulting in the generation of dioxin compounds. In addition, some of the PCP sludge was sprayed around the site to control weeds. The soil at the wood treating facility and part of the adjoining property was contaminated with arsenic, chromium, copper, PCP, and dioxins. The groundwater in the shallow Columbia aquifer is contaminated with arsenic, chromium, and PCP. The groundwater flow in the aquifer is towards Godwin’s Mill Pond Reservoir, a primary source of drinking water for more than 30,000 people in the city of Suffolk. Approximately 1,300 people live within three miles of the site, and about 700 people are served by the municipal water systems within a mile of the site.

Site Responsibility

Cleanup for this site is the responsibility of the Federal and State governments.

NPL Listing History

This site was proposed to the National Priorities List of the most serious uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites requiring long term remedial action on January 22, 1987 The site was formally added to the list October 4, 1989, making it eligible for federal cleanup funds.

Threats and Contaminants

The groundwater is primarily contaminated with PCP from wood-treating process wastes. A localized area with high levels of arsenic in the ground water is also present. The groundwater flow is toward the reservoir, a primary drinking water source. A nearby freshwater wetland may be threatened by site contamination.

Contaminant descriptions and associated risk factors are available on the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry, an arm of the CDC, web site at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/hazdat.html

Cleanup Progress

In 1981, the Virginia State Health Department investigated a complaint by the adjoining property owner that a chemical liquid resembling wastewater sludge was found in postholes dug on his property. In 1984, Saunders Supply Company excavated the contaminated material in the pit used to burn the spent PCP/oil mixture and disposed of it in a landfill. They also installed a recovery well and used the recovered water as process water for their ongoing (at the time) wood treating operations. In July 1987, EPA informed Saunders Supply Company of their intention to further investigate the contamination at the site. In 1988, the Saunders Supply Company informed EPA that they did not have the financial resources to perform the work. Subsequently, EPA performed the investigation and, later, the design and implementation of the remedy. A final cleanup decision was reached between EPA and Virginia in late 1991. The major components of the selected remedy included: off-site disposal of pond sediments, low temperature thermal desorption of contaminated soils with on-site disposal, off-site disposal of the concrete pads, groundwater monitoring, and deed restrictions to prevent using either the upper or the lower aquifer as a source of groundwater as well as restrictions on off-site groundwater extraction. In 1996, EPA amended the remedy to change treatment and disposal of the contaminated soils to off-site incineration and disposal. By changing the remedy to off-site incineration and disposal, EPA was able to drastically reduce the time required to implement the remedy, reducing the impact on the ongoing operations of the Saunders Supply Company and the business on the adjacent property.

Contacts

Site Contacts

Administrative Record Locations