Mountain Pine Pressure Treating

Overview

Mountain Pine Pressure Treating covers about 95 acres in Plainview, Arkansas. It includes three wood-treating facilities that operated from the early 1960s through the late 1980s. Workers used pentachlorophenol (PCP) and copper chromated arsenate (CCA) to pressure treat structural timbers. Those processes left arsenic and pentachlorophenol in soils, sediments, and surface water at the site. EPA added it to the National Priorities List (NPL) in July 1999.

Cleanup work unfolded in several stages. A removal action in 1987 and 1988 contained about 2,500 cubic yards of sludge and capped it with two feet of clay. A full remedial investigation began in September 1999, and EPA selected a final remedy in September 2004. That remedy combined offsite disposal, solidification and stabilization of contaminated material, engineered caps, containment, revegetation, decontamination, institutional controls, and monitoring. Remedial construction ran from April 2005 through April 2006. Physical construction of the cleanup is now complete across the entire site, and the state manages ongoing operation and maintenance.

Groundwater contamination migration has been stabilized and is under control, with no unacceptable discharge to surface water expected. However, human exposure status currently shows insufficient data, meaning the information gathered so far is not reliable enough to confirm whether unacceptable exposure pathways exist. The site also has not yet achieved sitewide ready for anticipated reuse status, as some cleanup goals or required land-use restrictions are not fully in place. An additional remedial investigation for the source area is estimated to begin between February and April 2027 and wrap up between February and April 2028. EPA conducted its most recent five-year review in September 2025 and will continue monitoring to confirm that affected groundwater stays within its original area of contamination.

The site has already seen productive reuse. EPA awarded the Town of Plainview a Superfund Redevelopment Initiative grant in 2001, and the town developed a Land Use Plan that shaped cleanup decisions toward future industrial use. A steel plant began construction there in 2004. A mulch company called Mulch and More now operates on the property. As of December 2024, one on-site business employed 25 people and generated roughly $2,290,000 in annual sales revenue.

Community members with questions can contact the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager. For state-related questions, contact the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ).