The Atlantic Wood Industries site covers 50 acres of land in Portsmouth, Virginia, plus more than 30 acres of contaminated sediments in the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River. A wood-treating facility ran there from 1926 to 1992, using creosote and pentachlorophenol (PCP). The U.S. Navy also disposed of waste on the property, including abrasive blast media containing heavy metals. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1990. Cleanup has been divided into three operable units addressing onsite soils and dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL), groundwater and offsite areas, and river water and sediments.
More than 50 chemical substances have been identified as contaminants of concern. Creosote is present in soil, groundwater, and river sediments, including as a free product visible in sediments along the riverbank. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), arsenic, PCP, copper, and zinc are widespread across multiple media. Benzene, toluene, xylene, and ethylbenzene were found in soil and groundwater. Chlorinated dioxins and furans were detected in groundwater, soil, sediment, and fish tissue. Crabs and oysters near the site also carry contamination. Virginia has issued a "DO NOT EAT" advisory for blue crab hepatopancreas and has banned oyster consumption due to bacterial contamination. EPA recommends that pregnant women, women of childbearing age, and children limit crab consumption.
Cleanup work began in earnest in 2009. Between 2008 and 2017, EPA dredged roughly 360,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment from the river, mixed the material with cement, and placed it in a constructed landfill or used it to cap other contaminated areas. The Army Corps of Engineers treated more than 45,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil in place. A 2019 legal settlement required the Department of Defense and Navy to pay EPA $55.3 million and Virginia $8.5 million for cleanup costs. EPA has also issued an Explanation of Significant Differences to prevent contaminated groundwater, including creosote DNAPL, from migrating into a nearby wetland and the river. EPA has determined that human exposure and groundwater migration are under control. Construction is expected to finish between December 2026 and February 2027.
Institutional controls restrict land use to industrial or commercial purposes, prohibit drinking water from groundwater, and warn the public against eating fish and shellfish from the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River. One on-site business currently employs 110 people and generates about $18.8 million in annual sales. The most recent five-year review was completed in May 2025. Community members can submit questions and comments through the site contacts listed on the EPA site page. EPA also uses oyster monitoring to assess cleanup progress.
