Tenaha Wood Treating
This Former Wood Treatment Facility in Tenaha, Shelby County is in the Feasibility Study Phase.
Site Summary
The Tenaha Wood Treating site is a former wood treatment facility, comprising approximately six acres, located at 275 County Road 4382, approximately a mile and a half south of Tenaha, Shelby County, Texas.
The facility performed wood treatment operations at the site from 1980 until 1985, using pentachlorophenol (PCP) and chromated copper arsenate. Wood preservatives leaks, spills, and improper waste management practices, led to arsenic, chromium, PCP, and dioxins releases into the environment.
Superfund Registry and Remediation Activities
The TCEQ proposed the site to the state Superfund registry in December 2005 and began the remedial investigation (RI) in February 2006. The RI findings included the detection of PCP, arsenic, and dioxins, on-site – in the surface soil, surface water, and sediment, and – off-site in soil and sediment. The March 2021 Affected Property Assessment Report (APAR) includes the RI results.
TCEQ performed several removal actions (RA) at the site between early 2006 and early 2015, as an effort to protect human health and the environment. RA activities included installing a fence around the former processing area (processing area), and the removal of contaminated soils in the processing area. TCEQ also removed contaminated soils, sediment, and pond surface water from outside the fenced processing area. The RA also included off-site disposal of the excavated site contamination that was above levels protective of residential land use.
Current Status
Some contamination remains in the soil and groundwater at the site. The site is currently in the feasibility study phase. TCEQ continues to sample soil and groundwater and is developing and evaluating potential cleanup alternatives for the site.