SITE:BREAKOTHER

If you have any additional questions,please contact:

Miss. Dept. of Environmental QualityGroundwater, Assessment, and

Remediation Division(601)961-5221

Miss. Dept. of Environmental QualityField Services Division

(601)961-5011

Environmental Protection AgencyCommunity Involvement Coordinator

800-564-7577 or 404-562-8611

Environmental Protection AgencyRemedial Project Manager

800-435-9234 or 404-562-8942

If you believe that you have been exposedto creosote or pentachlorophenol and areexperiencing adverse health problems,we recommend that you contact yourphysician.

PROPOSEDCLEANUP PLANSfor th« former WoodTreating, Inc. siteIn Picayune

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The Mississippi Department of EnvironmentalQuality (MDEQ) and the United StatesEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA) arepublishing this information to answer questionsabout the site and to inform the citizens ofPicayune and the surrounding area about theongoing investigation of the former woodpreserving plant, Picayune Wood Treating,Inc., was located at 403 Davis Street inPicayune, Pearl River County, Mississippi.

Timber and lumber related operationsbegan in the early 1900s, but the woodtreating operation most likely beganaround 1946. The Crosby Products Com-pany pressure-treated yellow southernpine wood with preservative chemicals(creosote and pentachlorophenol). In1973, Wood Treating, Inc. purchased thefacility and continued to pressure treatwood until 1999. Residential, commercial,and industrial areas presently surround thesite.

The Mississippi Department of Environ-mental Quality (MDEQ) and the U. S.Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)regulated the Wood Treating, Inc. facilityunder the Resource Conservation andRecovery Act (RCRA) from 1981 to 1999.Several enforcement actions were takenagainst the facility during that time.

A plan to treat groundwater was imple-mented in 1996 and continued until 1999when Wood Treating, Inc. closed its busi-

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WOOD TREATING, INC,PICAYUNE

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In an effort to address some of your concerns,MDEQ and EPA will periodically distributebrochures containing answers to questionsposed by the community. If you have anyquestions regarding the site, please contactJerry Banks, MDEQ, at (601) 961-5221 orHumberto Guzman, EPA, at (800)435-9234 or(404)562-8942.

Question 1: Has the city's drinking water beencontaminated by the wood treating chemicals?

No, MDEQ tested the drinking water for woodtreating chemicals in February 2004. Therewere no wood treating chemicals found In thesamples.

Question 2: Is the groundwater at the site

contaminated?

Yes, Groundwater contamination was found atthe site. There is a layer of clay 100-300 feetthick between the groundwater contaminationand the drinking water supply that likely will actas a barrier to keep contamination fromreaching the drinking water. EPA will furtherevaluate groundwater contamination as part ofits ongoing investigation.

Question 3: What were the main contaminantsfound at the site?

The main contaminants found at the site werecreosote, pentachlorophenol and dioxin/furans.Fact sheets containing more detailedinformation about the chemicals, exposureroutes, and associated health effects can befound at www.atsdr.gov.

Question 4: What is creosote?

Creosote is a complex mixture of manychemicals. Most of the chemicals found increosote are called polycyclic aromatichydrocarbons or PAHs.

Question 5: What is the source of the PAHs onsite?

PAHs are found at hazardous waste sites,especially those that performed wood treatingwith creosote. PAHs are also found at forestfires, residential wood burning sites, and inexhausts from automobiles and trucks,crankcase oil (used motor oil), and cigarettesmoke.

Question 6: How can one be exposed toPAHs?

The main source of exposure is inhalation orbreathing air that contains the PAHs such ascigarette smoke, vehicle exhaust, and othercontaminated air that my be encountered athazardous waste sites. Other exposure cancome from contact with soils or watercontaminated with PAHs.

Question 7: How can PAHs affect my health?

PAHs can be harmful to your health undercertain circumstances. Several of the PAHs havecaused tumors in animals. Some studiesindicate that people exposed by breathing orskin contact for long periods to PAHs and othercompounds can develop cancer. Most PAHs thatenter the body leave in a few days, primarily inthe feces and urine.

Question 8: What is pentacholorophenol?

Pentacholorphenol is a synthetic or man-madesubstance that is made from other chemicals.Some of the toxic impurities of concern found inpentacholorphenol are commonly calleddioxins/furans.

Question 9: What are the most commonsources of pentachlorophenol?

The most common source of pentachlorophenolis as a wood preserving chemical. Other minorsources are its uses in household pesticides.

Question 10: How can one be exposed topentachlorophenol?

The exposure routes are air emissions fromwood preserving plants that usepentachlorophenol and contact with surfacewater, groundwater, or soils contaminated bythis process.

Question 11: How can pentachlorophenoleffect my health?

The most obvious health effect is chloracne, asevere skin disease characterized by acne-likelesions. Exposure to pentachlorophenol mayalso cause skin, eye, and/or mouth irritations.

Question 12: Were residents in the nearbycommunity exposed to wood preservingchemicals?

Residents living near the site may have beenexposed to wood preserving chemicals if theyplayed along and in the ditch adjacent to thesite, on the site itself or in the creeks containingthe wood processing chemicals.

Question 13: Will residents possibly beexposed to the contaminants of concern whencleanup at the site begins?

Although there will be odors associated with thecleanup, residents will not be exposed toharmful levels of contaminants from the site.

Question 14: How long will the ongoinginvestigation and final cleanup of the site take?

The process will take many years and isdependent on both federal and state funding.The EPA is currently funding the ongoinginvestigation and feasibility studies to determinethe appropriate method or methods for cleanupof the site. Once this is done, the site will beready for the actual remedy design and cleanupto begin. Additional funding decisions will bemade at this time and the state will have toprovide ten percent of the cleanup costs.

Question 15: Does the community have anyinput into the decisions being made concerningthe cleanup of the site located in ourneighborhood?

Yes, There are several opportunities for thecommunity to have input into decisions beingmade to cleanup the site. When sampling iscomplete and several remedies have beenidentified, a public comment period and publicmeeting will be held. The community and otherinterested stakeholders at the site will be ableto submit written comments on the proposedremedy and alternatives.

Question 16: Is there some type of educationalmaterial to help the community understand theSuperfund process and the risks associated withthe site?

Yes, EPA has training available to help thecommunity understand the Superfund process.A video has been developed to increase thecommunities awareness of the risk assessmentprocess used at Superfund sites.

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