Gallaway Pits

Overview

Gallaway Pits is a 10-acre site in Gallaway, Tennessee, where unauthorized dumping of municipal and industrial wastes occurred during the 1970s. Pesticides, solid waste, trash, and drums of liquid waste were deposited there, contaminating soil, sediment, and surface water. EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983 because of those contamination problems.

EPA identified 21 contaminants of concern, all found in sediment. These include metals such as arsenic, lead, cadmium, chromium, and zinc, along with naturally occurring elements like calcium and iron. The site also contains the pesticides chlordane and dieldrin, the insecticide toxaphene, and organics as a general category. EPA determined these substances posed unacceptable risks to human health and the environment based on the amounts found and potential exposure pathways, including inhaling contaminated air and ingesting or touching contaminants in soil, sediment, and surface water.

EPA and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) carried out cleanup in several stages. In 1983, EPA treated 360,000 gallons of contaminated water and removed 475 cubic yards of contaminated soil. In 1987, EPA excavated contaminated soil and sediment from on-site ponds, solidified the materials, and placed a protective cap over them. EPA also installed monitoring wells and treated pond water before releasing it to nearby surface water. In 1997, TDEC removed the cap and 12,074 tons of waste from beneath it, disposing of the material at an off-site facility, and properly closed eight monitoring wells. A Record of Decision Amendment was issued on September 30, 2014, removing one remedy component and selecting no further action for that part of the cleanup.

Construction of the cleanup was completed on July 18, 1995, and EPA deleted the site from the NPL on April 29, 1996. The final Five-Year Review, completed in 2000, confirmed the cleanup protected people and the environment. Human exposure is currently under control across the entire site. All cleanup goals for current and anticipated future land uses have been met, and required land-use controls are in place. The site is unused but suitable for commercial or industrial reuse. EPA does not anticipate additional work at the site.

During the cleanup process, EPA kept residents informed through public notices, interviews, fact sheets, and public meetings. No further five-year reviews are planned. Anyone with questions about the site can contact the Remedial Project Manager.