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Products (Chattanooga Creek) 

Tennessee Products (Chattanooga Creek)

Site Background 

The Tennessee Products site is located in Chattanooga, Hamilton County, 

Tennessee. The site consists of the former Tennessee Products coal carbonization 

facility, which operated from 1918 until 1987, and its associated coal-tar 

dumping areas in Chattanooga Creek and its floodplain. Coal-tar wastes are 

present along an approximate 2.5-mile reach of the Creek extending from just 

upstream of the Hamill Road Bridge to the downstream confluence with one of its 

tributaries, Dobbs Branch. 

Threats and Contaminants 

Uncontrolled dumping of coal-tar wastes has contaminated the facility, ground water underlying the facility, and 

surface water/sediment of Chattanooga Creek downstream of the facility. Primary site contaminants include 

pesticides, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, metals, and polychlorinated biphenyls. 

Due to elevated levels of contamination in the sediments and surface waters, Tennessee Department of Environment 

and Conservation issued a health advisory for Chattanooga Creek in 1983 and a fish consumption advisory in 1992. 

Site Cleanup Plan 

The Record of Decision (ROD) for the site was issued in 2002. The major remedial action included excavation of 

visually impacted sediments from the middle reach of Chattanooga Creek and a spoil pile along the Northeast 

Tributary utilizing standard construction methods. The disturbed creek banks were then to be stabilized and the 

sediments consolidated for off-site disposal. 

EPA issued an Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD) in August 2004 to modify the remedy selected in the 2002 

ROD. The volume of waste to be removed was far greater than the estimate in the original ROD and the ESD altered 

the timing and cost to address this change. Additionally, the contaminated sediments would be removed to a local 

municipal landfill instead of being sent to a waste-to-fuel facility. 

Cleanup Progress 

In 1993, EPA fenced a section of the Creek to prevent public access. 

In November 1998, EPA completed a Non-Time-Critical Removal Action that focused on the upper reach of 

Chattanooga Creek. This action removed coal-tar deposits and contaminated sediments along a 1-mile section of 

Chattanooga Creek between Hamill Road and 1,200 feet north of the 38th Street bridge. Approximately 25,300 cubic 

yards of coal-tar and contaminated sediment were removed from the Creek. In addition, 1,150 cubic yards of 

pesticide-contaminated sediment was removed from the Creek and disposed at a local municipal landfill. 

National Information 

CERCLIS Site Profile 

Additional Site Documents 

Site Location 

Site Contaminants of Concern 

Site Aliases 

Photos/Multimedia 

View of Chattanooga Creek flowing 

through the Tennessee Products site. 

- Additional Site Photos 

- Site Video 

Additional Resources 

Site Cleanup Terms - can be found 

in EPA's glossary 

EPA Guides to Cleanup 

Technologies 

Superfund Community Involvement 

(PDF) (17 pp, 130K, About PDF)

Site Summary Profile 

EPA ID: TND071516959 

Location: Chattanooga, Hamilton County, TN 

Lat/Long: 34.998880, -085.314440 

Congressional District: 03 

NPL Status: Proposed: 01/18/94; Final: 09/29/95 

Affected Media: Ground water, Sediment, Soil 

Cleanup Status: Construction Complete - Physical cleanup 

activities have been completed. 

Site Reuse/Redevelopment: Potential for Commercial/Light 

Industrial 

Site Manager: Craig Zeller (zeller.craig@epa.gov)

Site Background 

Threats and Contaminants 

Site Cleanup Plan 

Cleanup Progress 

Enforcement Activities

Community Involvement 

Future Work 

Site Administrative 

Documents

Region 4: Superfund

Last updated on Tuesday, October 27th, 2009.

http://www.epa.gov/Region4/waste/npl/npltn/tennprtn.htm

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http://www.epa.gov/Region4/waste/npl/npltn/tennprtn.htm 12/3/2009
From September 2005 to September 2007, approximately 107,293 tons of stabilized sediment was excavated from 

the Creek channel and transported for disposal at an off-site landfill. A protective isolation barrier consisting of 

Aquablok® was installed over 5,750 linear feet of Creek channel to guard against potential re-contamination from 

non-aqueous phase liquid encountered in the subsurface. 

The Final Closeout Report for this site was approved on September 26, 2008. 

Site cleanup activities have been led primarily by potentially responsible parties (PRPs) with oversight by EPA. 

Enforcement Activities 

In May 2005, EPA entered into a Consent Decree with PRPs to recover past response costs incurred by EPA, to 

perform the remedial design, and to perform the final phase of cleanup for the 1.9-mile section of Chattanooga Creek 

from north of the 38th Street Bridge to the confluence with Dobbs Branch. 

Community Involvement 

EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the Tennessee Products site to solicit community 

input and to ensure that the public remains informed about site activities throughout the site cleanup process. 

Outreach activities have included public notices, interviews, and public meetings on cleanup activities and updates. 

Fact Sheets 

Proposed Plan Fact Sheet, August 2002 (PDF) (14 pp, 270K, About PDF) 

Future Work 

The first Five-Year Review (FYR) for this site is scheduled to be completed by October 2010. 

Site Administrative Documents 

Site Repository 

For more information or to view any site-related documents, please visit the site information repository at the 

following location. As new documents are generated, they will be placed in the information repository for public 

information. 

Chattanooga Hamilton County Public Library 

1001 Broad Street 

Chattanooga, TN 37402 

Administrative Record Index 

OU-1 (PDF) (2 pp, 114K, About PDF) 

ESD (PDF) (1 pg, 28K, About PDF) 

Removal (PDF) (2 pp, 62K, About PDF) 

NTC Removal (PDF) (4 pp, 133K, About PDF) 

For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office. 

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http://www.epa.gov/Region4/waste/npl/npltn/tennprtn.htm 12/3/2009