TAYLOR LUMBER AND TREATING OREGON EPA ID# ORD009042532

EPA Region 10 Yamhill County Sheridan 01 Congressional District Other Names:

Last Update: August, 2012

Site Description

The Taylor Lumber and Treating Superfund site is located in Sheridan, Oregon. At the site, Taylor Lumber and Treating (TLT) conducted wood-treating operations from 1966 to 2001. The predominant activity was pressure treatment of logs for use as utility poles and pilings. The primary wood-treating chemicals used were creosote, pentachlorophenol, and Chemonite (a solution of arsenic, copper, zinc, and ammonia). All operations ceased when TLT filed for bankruptcy in 2001. In 2002, Pacific Wood Preserving of Oregon (PWPO) entered into a Prospective Purchaser Agreement with EPA and purchased the property where wood-treating and pole storage had occurred (approximately 40 acres). PWPO began wood-treating operations in June 2002.

Past drips, spills, and leaks of wood-treating chemicals from storage tanks, drip pads, tank farms, log storage areas, and other wood-treating operations resulted in groundwater contamination and soil contamination at the property and in adjacent roadside ditches. Cleanup work has been completed. The State of Oregon is responsible for long-term monitoring at the site.

Site Responsibility: This site has been addressed through federal and state actions.

NPL Listing History	Dates
Proposed Date:	12/01/2000
Removed Date:
Withdrawal Date:
Final Date:	06/14/2001
Deleted Date:

Threats and Contaminants

Media Affected: Soil, Groundwater
Groundwater is contaminated with wood-treating chemicals; the main contaminants are pentachlorophenol, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), arsenic, and dioxins. The contaminated groundwater is contained within an underground barrier wall, which ranges from 14 to 20 feet deep and encompasses an area of over 6 acres. Soils contained within the barrier wall are also contaminated, and the area above and inside of the barrier wall is paved with asphalt to protect onsite workers and minimize the amount of stormwater seeping into the ground. Soils in other areas of the site, adjacent roadside ditches, and gullies, contaminated with wood-treating chemicals (primarily arsenic), were cleaned up in 2007/2008.


Cleanup Progress

EPA has completed the remedial action at this site. The majority of the cleanup occurred in 2007/2008: contaminated soils were excavated from nearly five acres of the site and soils were disposed off-site at a hazardous waste landfill; all adjacent roadside ditches and two ditches flowing to the South Yamhill River were cleaned and restored; the existing asphalt cap in the wood-treating area was replaced with a new low permeability asphalt cap; soils contained in the historical stockpiled soil storage cells were disposed off-site; groundwater monitoring wells no longer in use were permanently closed; and the stormwater conveyance systems were upgraded.

Prior to the 2007 cleanup, EPA had completed several removal actions at the site to reduce risks to people and the environment and to control ongoing sources of contamination. In 2000, an underground barrier wall, which ranges from 14 to 20 feet deep, was constructed beneath the wood-treating area to contain the most contaminated groundwater, and a groundwater extraction system was constructed to maintain hydraulic control within the barrier wall. This extracted groundwater passes through an onsite stormwater treatment system before being discharged to the South Yamhill River, under a state discharge permit. In 2004 and 2005, contaminated soils were excavated from roadside ditches and from one nearby residential yard.

In 2009, EPA completed the Operation and Maintenance Plan for the site. In 2010, EPA completed the Long-term Groundwater Monitoring and Reporting Plan. EPA is preparing to implement institutional controls to restrict groundwater use and non-industrial land use at the site. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is the state agency responsible for ensuring that operation and maintenance, including groundwater monitoring, is carried out at the site.


Regional Contacts

SITE MANAGER(S):	Karen Keeley
E-MAIL ADDRESS:	keeley.karen@epa.gov
PHONE NUMBER:	206-553-2141
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT COORDINATOR:	Suzanne Skadowski
E-MAIL ADDRESS	skadowski.suzanne@epa.gov
PHONE NUMBER:	206-553-6689 or 800-424-4372

Information pertaining to this site is housed at the following location(s):
EPA Taylor Lumber Superfund website: http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/CLEANUP.NSF/sites/tlt

EPA Region 10 Superfund Records Center
1200 Sixth Ave., Suite 900
Seattle, Washington 98101
(206) 553-4494 (Please call for an appointment.)

Sheridan Public Library (Selected Documents)
142 N.W. Yamhill Street
Sheridan, Oregon
(503) 843-3420 (Please call for hours.)