Texarkana Wood Preserving Co.

Overview

The Texarkana Wood Preserving Co. site covers 26 acres in Texarkana, Texas. From the early 1900s until August 1984, the facility treated wood with creosote and pentachlorophenol (PCP) to protect it from bacteria and insects. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1986 after finding contamination in shallow soils and groundwater. The site is divided into two operable units (OUs), one covering soils and groundwater broadly and a second addressing a separate area, each with its own cleanup strategy.

Contaminants in soil and groundwater include metals such as arsenic, chromium, lead, mercury, antimony, and zinc. Organic compounds include PCP, naphthalene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), dioxins, dibenzofurans, and related compounds. Benzo(a)pyrene, a PAH found in creosote, is the primary contaminant driving health risk at the site. At the time of cleanup, the site held an estimated 88,920 cubic yards of contaminated soil and sludge, 460,000 gallons of dense non-aqueous phase liquid (a heavy, oil-like substance that sinks in groundwater), and about 49 million gallons of contaminated groundwater.

Between 2011 and 2012, EPA and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) carried out the final remedy. Workers excavated contaminated soils, consolidated them on-site, and covered them with clean soil. Source material was solidified in place to protect deeper groundwater. Construction finished on September 21, 2012. Since then, groundwater monitoring has shown the contaminated plume is shrinking and moving back toward the site. The plume has not reached Days Creek, located east of the site. No drinking water wells have been affected. Most area residents get drinking water from Wright Patman Lake, about 12 miles south. Institutional controls restrict groundwater use and limit the property to industrial or commercial use only.

About 200 people live within one-third mile of the site. The nearest home or business is roughly 500 feet west of the site boundary. There are no schools within one mile. Cleanup construction is complete, human exposure is under control, and the site is ready for its anticipated industrial or commercial reuse. Long-term response actions for soils and groundwater ended in March 2024, and operation and maintenance transferred to state performance at that point. The most recent five-year review occurred in May 2022, with the next estimated between May and July 2027. The site has not yet been deleted from the NPL. Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding has been directed to this site to support groundwater restoration work.

Community members can review site records at the Texarkana Public Library at 600 West Third Street, reachable at 903-794-2149. For questions, contact the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager. For state-related questions, contact TCEQ.