Southeastern Wood Preserving

Overview

Wood-treating operations ran at this Canton, Mississippi site from 1928 to 1979, leaving behind coal tar, creosote, pentachlorophenol, and related toxic compounds. The EPA placed the site on the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in March 2012. The NPL is the federal government's list of the most serious uncontrolled hazardous waste sites in the country. No viable potentially responsible parties have been identified, so federal funds are being used to pay for cleanup.

The main contaminants of concern are 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) toxicity equivalents and benzo[a]pyrene equivalents, found in soil and sediment. Groundwater samples show no site-related contamination. A public water supply well about 500 feet south of the site draws from deeper groundwater, and testing confirms it is safe to drink. The EPA has determined that human exposure to contaminants is currently under control.

Cleanup work stretches back to 1985. Early actions stabilized surface impoundments and widened Batchelor Creek to reduce bank erosion. Between 1990 and 1994, contaminated waste was treated and placed in a lined containment cell. The EPA excavated creek sediment in 2008 and 2009, and removed contaminated soil from nearby residential and commercial properties between October 2013 and April 2014. In September 2016, the EPA signed a Record of Decision selecting the long-term remedy for Operable Unit 1. That plan calls for a subsurface barrier wall around a 7.9-acre portion of the site, excavation of shallow contaminated soil outside the wall, a composite low-permeability cap, and stormwater controls, at an estimated cost of $30 million.

Active remedial construction began in 2022. As of December 2024, the barrier wall is fully installed, about 15,472 tons of soil have been disposed of or incinerated off-site, creek sediment excavation is complete, and shallow soil excavation is nearly done. One source notes completion is anticipated by summer 2025, while another projects completion by March 2026, followed by operation and maintenance. A second cleanup area, Operable Unit 2, does not yet have a formal remedy selected, with its investigation estimated to begin between July and September 2027. The site has received cleanup funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Community members can get involved through public notices, public meetings, and interviews the EPA holds throughout the cleanup process. Site records are available at the Canton Public Library at 102 Priestley Street, open Monday through Saturday. Documents are also available online through the EPA's site profile system. Two EPA staff members handle site questions directly.