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EPA to Hold Public Meeting on Plans for Chuckatuck, VA Superfund Site

Release Date: 9/18/1998
Contact Information: Patrick Gaughan (304) 234-0238

Philadelphia - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public meeting to explain long-term cleanup plans for the Saunders Supply Superfund site in Chuckatuck, Va.  The meeting will take place on September 23 at 7 p.m. at the Chuckatuck Volunteer Fire Department Building at 300 Kings Highway.  EPA representatives will be joined by personnel from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VADEQ) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  

Using federal Superfund money, the EPA recently installed a series of pumping wells and a water treatment facility at the Saunders Supply site.  The wells draw out groundwater contaminated with pentachlorophenol, and the treatment plant removes the contaminants and releases the clean water.  The “pump and treat” system is now fully operational.

 The EPA and VADEQ also plan to excavate soil and sediment contaminated with copper, chromium, arsenic and pentachlorophenol and dispose of it off site.  The contamination in the ground water, soils and sediment resulted from improper disposal of waste and chemicals used in wood treatment operations conducted at Saunders Supply from 1964 to 1991.

The Army Corps will supervise the cleanup, including review of contract proposals and overseeing of the actual work.  EPA and VADEQ will continue to provide information to the public about the ongoing progress at the site.

The Superfund is a trust fund collected in the form of an assessment on the petro-chemical industry to clean up hazardous waste sites.

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