OSWER/OSRTI Washington, DC 20460 

## N ATIONAL 

## P RIORITIES 

## L IST 

## (NPL)

[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was evaluated with t he HRS. The description may change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination.]

For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regar ding the eff ects of exposure to these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs ca n be found on the Internet
at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq html or by telephone at 1

- 888

- 42

- ATSDR or 1

- 888

- 422

- 8737. ***Final Site*** March 2012 

### SOUTHEASTERN WOOD PR ESERVING Canton, Mississippi Madison County

 **Site Location :**  The Southeastern Wood Preserving s ite is a 25

- acre property located in the northernmost part of the City of Canton, Mississippi

. The site is bordered on one side by Batchelor Creek.

 **Site History:**
B etween 1928 and 1979 several companies conducted wood treating operations at the site

. Co al tar creosote and pentachlorophenol (PCP) were used as wood preservatives

. Three unlined wastewater treatment surface impoundments were constructed for disposal of wood preserving treatment slu dges and process wastewater. Prior to 1977, the facility reportedly discharged approximately 50,000 gallons of wastewater directly into Batchelor Creek

.
 **Site Contamination/Contaminants:** Soil, sediment and ground water are contaminated with creosote a nd creosote

- related compounds. Investigations have identified that free

- phase creosote is entering Batchelor Creek along a stretch of approximately 700 feet. The downstream extent of sediment impact was determined to extend at least 4

, 500 feet downstream. Ground water sampl ing found 17 chemicals at levels above three times background and above Mississippi Target Remediation Goals (TRGs) or the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Act Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs).

 **Potential Impacts on Surrounding Community/Environment :**  Creosote and creosote

- related contamination has been documented in Batchelor Creek, which flows through a city park, a residential area an d downtown Canton before it enters Bear Creek . Batchelor Creek is used for fishing and recre ational purposes by residents. The original s ite area extends into what are now residential properties and it is not known if contamination exists on or under these properties.

 **Response Activities (to date):** The EPA excavated and stabilized approximately 8,000 cubic yards of contaminated sludge found in the three impoundments. A containment cell was constructed to contain the soil. The EPA has excavated contaminated sediment from Batchelor Creek adjacent to the s ite and has constructed a second containment cell for this material. A slurry wall was constructed to prevent any additional creosote from flowing into Batchelor Creek.

 **Need for NPL Listing:** The S tate of Mississippi referred th e site to the EPA because of soil contamination and the large area of contaminated sediments in Batchelor Creek

. Other federal and state cleanup programs were evaluated , but are not viable at this time

. The EPA received a letter o f support for placing this site on the NPL from the state

.