Arkwood, Inc. operated as a wood-treating facility from 1962 to 1984 on an 18-acre property about half a mile southwest of Omaha, Arkansas. The site has been on the EPA's National Priorities List (NPL) since 1989. The NPL is the federal list of hazardous waste sites that need long-term cleanup attention.
Soil at the site is contaminated with pentachlorophenol (PCP), dioxins and dibenzofurans, and base neutral acids, a group that includes polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PCP is also present in groundwater. These contaminants were found at levels above health-based standards and posed a long-term threat to groundwater. EPA identified them as contaminants of concern, meaning they pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment.
The cleanup plan, approved in 1990, called for excavating the most heavily contaminated soil and incinerating it. About 8,700 cubic yards of soil were dug up, and roughly 3,500 cubic yards were transported and incinerated at an offsite facility, a change made in 1995 from the original plan for onsite incineration. Remaining waste was covered with an engineered cap. A water treatment system was installed at New Cricket Spring after groundwater there continued to exceed Arkansas Water Quality Standards. Physical construction of the cleanup finished in 1996.
EPA's assessment shows human exposure is under control and groundwater migration is stabilized, with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. However, a dioxin re-evaluation is underway because dioxin may still affect long-term protectiveness. Additional soil sampling took place in October 2024, and spring sampling was completed in April 2025. Results from both will be included in the Sixth Five Year Review, which began in 2025. The most recent completed Five Year Review was in September 2021. A second remedial investigation and feasibility study for the site began in August 2022, with completion estimated between March and May 2028. The site remains on the NPL.
Institutional controls are in place. The site is restricted to industrial use only. Digging in the capped area requires written EPA approval, and groundwater cannot be extracted without EPA or Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) approval. Community members who want to stay informed can join the EPA mailing list by contacting the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator.
