The Houston Wood Treatment Plant is the location of a former wood treating business that operated from 1969 to 2013. During wood treating operations, pentachlorophenol (PCP) was added to diesel fuel and utilized to chemically pressure-treat and preserve wood products. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR) referred the site to EPA Region 7's Superfund and Emergency Management Division in October 2022.
EPA conducted a removal site evaluation in July 2023 that identified discarded, spent-PCP wood treating solutions, and PCP-contaminated soils.
A subsequent time-critical removal action was conducted in January 2024 to address the abandoned and spent wood treating solutions and sludge. General objectives of removal activities were to remove and dispose of the two treatment tanks and the waste contained within. Removal of the treatment building housing the two tanks also was necessary. Removal activities occurred from January 8 through March 25, 2024.
Waste removal efforts yielded eight 330-gallon totes and 35 55-gallon drums of containerized waste material. Five of the 55-gallon drums were classified as non-hazardous and were transported to the Clean Harbors facility in Waynoka, Oklahoma for disposal. The other 30 of the 55-gallon drums were classified as hazardous waste (15 drums of liquid and 15 drums of solid) and transported to the Clean Harbors facility in El Dorado, Arkansas for final disposal. The eight 330-gallon totes, also classified as hazardous waste, were transported to the Clean Harbors facility in Kimball, Nebraska for final disposal. The two storage tanks were rendered unusable by removal of the front and rear doors, and drilling of a hole into the side of each.
This site has been closed per the guidance specified in the EPA Superfund Program Implementation Manual and has been referred to MoDNR for implementation of post removal site controls.
A separate Removal Action was performed to address impacted soils. Details on this cleanup can be found here: https://response.epa.gov/houstonwoodRV2.
