A wood-treating plant ran on this 89-acre site in Albuquerque's South Valley from 1908 to 1972, using creosote and oil mixtures on wood products. After the plant was demolished in 1972, contaminated soil and groundwater remained. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1994. The site is divided into operable units, with Operable Unit 1 (OU-1) targeting sludge contamination in soil and groundwater.
EPA identified 23 contaminants of concern at the site. These include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) such as naphthalene, benzo(a)pyrene, chrysene, and indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene, as well as benzene, carbazole, dibenzofuran, the plasticizer bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, and zinc. Most of these chemicals were detected in both soil and groundwater. The greatest health concern is drinking contaminated groundwater, and risks from ingesting or touching contaminated soil have also been identified.
Cleanup construction ran from 2008 to 2011 and included a groundwater recovery system, a treatment plant, monitoring wells, soil stabilization, excavation, capping, and a soil repository. A partial NPL deletion was issued in March 2011, and the site achieved sitewide ready for anticipated reuse in September 2017. Long-term response action began in September 2012 and continues today. Groundwater use beneath the site and all land use are restricted to industrial purposes only. One business currently operates on site, employing five people and generating roughly $978,000 in annual sales.
EPA's most recent Five-Year Review, completed in August 2023, found the remedy protective of human health and the environment in the short term. Human exposure and groundwater migration are both under control. To achieve long-term protection, two actions are still needed: updating the Operation and Maintenance Plan to reflect current operations of the groundwater treatment plant and recovery system, and revising the Groundwater Monitoring Plan based on ongoing natural attenuation and source zone studies. BNSF is updating the site's Conceptual Site Model and will revise those plans before the next review, estimated between August and October 2028.
Community members can read the full 2023 Five-Year Review Report online at https://semspub.epa.gov/work/06/100029413.pdf or in person at the Albuquerque Public Library (510 Copper Avenue NW) or the New Mexico Environment Department's Groundwater Quality Bureau in Santa Fe. For questions, contact the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager. For state-related questions, contact the New Mexico Environment Department.
