Superfund Sites in Reuse in Tennessee

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ALAMO CONTAMINATED GROUND WATER

The Alamo Contaminated Ground Water Superfund site is in Alamo, Tennessee. In 1988, groundwater samples from two of the city’s four public water supply wells had contamination at levels above federal standards for drinking water. The public water supply wells tap into the Memphis Sands Aquifer, which is the primary source of drinking water for this area of Tennessee. The contamination may be a result of operations in the community’s downtown business district. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 2011. EPA selected the site’s remedy in 2018. Cleanup includes putting in a new air stripper and a soil vapor extraction system at the former Wards Dry Cleaners site to remove volatile organics from the soil. In 2023, the site was added to those selected by EPA to receive cleanup funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). With this funding, EPA is already initiating work on backlogged remedial construction projects and accelerating cleanups at NPL sites. At the site, this funding will enable continued monitoring of the air stripper and SVE system. EPA is also doing more sampling to further assess the scope and sources of the contamination. A parking lot is located on-site.
Last updated September 2024

As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.

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AMERICAN CREOSOTE WORKS, INC. (JACKSON PLANT)

The 60-acre American Creosote Works, Inc. (Jackson Plant) Superfund site is southwest of Jackson, Tennessee. It is in the South Fork of the Forked Deer River (SFFDR) floodplain. A wood-treating facility was on-site from the early 1930s to 1981. It sent untreated process wastewater directly into the SFFDR. Process water and sludge stored in pits often overflowed into the main process area and the river during heavy rains and flooding. In 1983, an EPA investigation found that site activities had contaminated soil, sediment, surface water and shallow groundwater. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1986. EPA has led cleanup activities since 1986. Activities included cleanup of tanked liquid waste and sludge and demolition of site structures. They also included the treatment and disposal of wastewater and capping of more than 6 acres of highly contaminated soil in the former process area. Land and groundwater use restrictions are in place. Site investigations are ongoing. Site owner Meadow Street Properties leases the property to Dement Construction Company (Dement), which operates an equipment storage yard on-site. In 2006 and 2007, Dement placed fill material over the cap to upgrade the area for use as an equipment yard. Dement also built an office building and a maintenance and storage shed on-site. Although EPA notified Dement to cease any soil-moving activities in 2015, the company placed more fill material in the areas of several former lagoons. The 2020 Fill Characterization Report, prepared by Montrose Environmental Group on behalf of Dement, identified arsenic between 5.02 and 10.5 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg), which is consistent with average natural background concentrations. The sole PCP exceedance of the EPA RSL in the fill material was collected from a vertical reach within the fluctuation zone of site groundwater in an area of known groundwater contamination. The fill material is therefore susceptible to PCP contamination through contact with PCP-contaminated groundwater. The sampling interval above the PCP detections was non-detect for site specific contaminants. Additionally, the crusher run placed on the fill material did not contain any site-specific contaminants. Thus, groundwater is the most probable source of contamination to the fill material. Both arsenic and PCP were eliminated as a potential COC in the fill material and there is no exposure risk to onsite workers. The city of Jackson and the Tennessee Department of Transportation are planning a U.S. Route 45 Bypass Road project that will include construction of a four-lane roadway across the southwest corner of the site. About 5 acres of known dense nonaqueous phase liquid source area created from past releases of creosote and PCP-based wood treating wastes will become inaccessible during and after road construction. EPA will conduct a cleanup to address contamination in this area before the state builds the bypass. Construction of the bypass is expected to begin in 2028.
Last updated September 2024

As of December 2023, EPA had data on 2 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 5 people and generated an estimated $3,301,000 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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AMNICOLA DUMP

The 18-acre Amnicola Dump Superfund site is in Chattanooga, Tennessee, next to the Tennessee River. Clay mining operations in the 1930s left several water-filled pits at the site. In 1970, the city of Chattanooga opened a dump on-site. In 1973, it closed the facility due to unauthorized dumping and the discharge of leachate into the Tennessee River. Facility operations resulted in contamination of debris, soil and groundwater. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. Cleanup activities included off-site disposal of contaminated soil and debris, groundwater monitoring and a public health assessment. After cleanup, EPA took the site off the NPL in 1996. Quarterly groundwater monitoring ended in 1997. Commercial uses on-site include a construction supply business and a community food bank. The food bank has a teaching garden that provides fresh produce for an emergency food box program. The Tennessee Riverwalk crosses the site.
Last updated September 2024

As of December 2023, EPA had data on 2 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 59 people and generated an estimated $54,266,000 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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ARLINGTON BLENDING & PACKAGING

The 2.3-acre Arlington Blending & Packaging Superfund site is in Arlington, Tennessee. A pesticide formulation and packaging plant was on-site from 1971 to 1978. Its operations and pesticide spills contaminated soil and groundwater. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1987. Cleanup included disposal of contaminated equipment and waste chemicals, removal and treatment of contaminated soil, and monitoring of groundwater and surface water. EPA also removed about 70 cubic yards of soil from a residential property east of the site in 1990. Groundwater is sampled annually. In 2004, EPA issued a Ready for Reuse (RfR) Determination for the site. EPA designed the RfR Determination to reassure Arlington residents and officials of the site’s compatibility with specific reuses. EPA Region 4 worked with the town of Arlington on remedy-friendly plans for a neighborhood park at the site. EPA’s participation in the planning process made sure that playground construction activities did not affect the remedy. Mary Alice Park, named for a nearby subdivision, opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in 2006. It includes a playground, field space, exercise stations, and walking and biking trails. It also includes a half-court basketball court and signs that explain the park’s history and celebrate its successful redevelopment. EPA Region 4 recognized the town of Arlington with its Excellence in Site Reuse award in June 2009. The site’s redevelopment enhanced EPA’s selected remedy and revitalized the property and the surrounding neighborhood.
Last updated September 2024

As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.

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CARRIER AIR CONDITIONING CO.

Front entryway to the Carrier Corporation building
Carrier Air Conditioning Co.

The 135-acre Carrier Air Conditioning Co. Superfund site is in Collierville, Tennessee. Starting in 1967, Carrier Air Conditioning Company made air conditioning units on-site. The process used solvents to degrease metal parts. The company put wastewater containing solvents and metals in a lagoon on-site. There were two solvent spills at the main plant building in 1979 and 1985. State investigations in the mid-1980s found that site activities had contaminated soil and groundwater. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1990. Cleanup activities included treatment of contaminated soil and groundwater. The groundwater treatment system started running in 1990. The soil vapor extraction system started operating in 1995. Both treatment systems continue to operate. Carrier Air Conditioning Company’s manufacturing plant remains active on-site.
Last updated September 2024

As of December 2023, EPA had data on one on-site business. This business employed 1,400 people and generated an estimated $153,603,000 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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COPPER BASIN MINING DISTRICT

The 50-square-mile Copper Basin Mining District Superfund site is in mountainous terrain next to the towns of Copperhill and Ducktown in Tennessee. It includes a 26-mile stretch of the Ocoee River and parts of the North Potato Creek and Davis Mill Creek watersheds. From the late 1800s to the 2000s, mining activities resulted in the erosion and transportation of soil and wastes into the Ocoee River. Mining operations on-site left over 30 square miles of land barren of vegetation. EPA did not add the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) but considers it an NPL-caliber site and is addressing it through the Superfund Alternative Approach. Cleanup focuses on protecting the Ocoee River. Cleanup activities include waste and structure removal, surface capping, stream and wildlife restoration, and water collection and treatment. Mining waste and byproduct stockpiles are recycled at the Copperhill Plant. Site stakeholders have revegetated hundreds of acres. As part of the revegetation effort, stakeholders planted over 400,000 trees. Seed mixes used in restoration included over 20 varieties of native plants and wildflowers. Revegetating the site with native species provides much-needed habitat for pollinators. Part of the site is in the Cherokee National Forest. Source control efforts for Davis Mill Creek and North Potato Creek have improved water quality in the Ocoee River. These efforts have helped support a thriving whitewater boating industry. A variety of commercial and industrial businesses are active on-site.
Last updated September 2024

As of December 2023, EPA had data on 24 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 184 people and generated an estimated $12,884,008 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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ICG ISELIN RAILROAD YARD

The 80-acre ICG Iselin Railroad Yard Superfund site is in Jackson, Tennessee. In 1906, the Mobile & Ohio Railroad Company had a rail yard with train engine repair and refueling services on-site. In 1972, the company became the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad Company (ICG). The firm continued operating until 1986, when it sold the property to Norfolk Southern. The Williams Steel Company purchased part of the site in 1989 for a steel fabrication facility. In 1990 and 1991, the Tennessee Division of Remediation (TDOR) found contaminated soil and groundwater. Further investigations by TDOR and EPA found that improper handling of storage tanks, fueling stations and disposal areas on-site resulted in contamination of soil and groundwater with lead. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1994. In 1998, state and federal agencies worked together to remove and replace lead-contaminated soil. Grass now grows on the cleaned-up areas. EPA also restricted residential groundwater use. EPA took the site off the NPL in 2002. The Williams Steel Company continues to run a steel fabrication facility on-site. The Norfolk Southern property remains in use as a railroad yard. Koppersrail ties company is also on-site.
Last updated September 2024

As of December 2023, EPA had data on 2 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 22 people and generated an estimated $5,192,000 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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ILLINOIS CENTRAL RAILROAD COMPANY'S JOHNSTON YARD SUPERFUND SITE

The 288-acre Illinois Central Railroad Company’s Johnston Yard site is in Memphis, Tennessee. A rail yard opened on-site in 1910. An intermodal facility transferring cargo from trains to trucks was on-site until 2006. Waste handling practices at the facility resulted in soil and groundwater contamination. EPA did not add the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) but considers it an NPL-caliber site. EPA is addressing the site through the Superfund Alternative Approach. Cleanup activities include diesel removal from the subsurface, groundwater monitoring and institutional controls to limit land use and prevent the installation of drinking water wells on-site. Canadian National bought the Illinois Central Railroad in 1998. It changed the facility’s name to Harrison Yard in 2009. Continued uses at the site include the rail yard, a locomotive fueling and servicing center, and a freight car repair facility.
Last updated September 2024

As of December 2023, EPA had data on one on-site business. This business employed 250 people and generated an estimated $126,467,757 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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NATIONAL FIREWORKS

The 260-acre National Fireworks Superfund site is east of Memphis in Cordova, Tennessee. From 1941 to 1945, National Fireworks made munitions on-site. They included flares, grenades and incendiary bombs as well as rounds of ammunition for the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy. The site also includes areas used for testing flares, a former burn pit used to dispose of building materials, and areas used for disposal of chemical wastes. Inspections and investigations from 2001 to 2005 found contaminants in soil and groundwater from past operations. In 2010, Security Signals, Inc., a potentially responsible party (PRP) for Operating Unit 2 (OU2) of the Site, completed the removal of an estimated 550 cubic yards of contaminated soil and back-filled with clean soil. This effort included the excavation of over 7,000 live pin flares. EPA also completed a vapor intrusion study for several buildings in 2021. In 2022, EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL). Investigations and cleanup planning are ongoing. Today, Cordova Industrial Park operates on the Site property. It includes distribution, office, sales, storage, repair and production facilities. Security Signals, Inc. also runs a machined metal parts manufacturing facility on the property.
Last updated September 2024

As of December 2023, EPA had data on 59 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 944 people and generated an estimated $166,313,230 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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SMALLEY-PIPER

The 9-acre Smalley-Piper Superfund site is in Collierville, Tennessee. A facility made farm tools and battery casings on site in the 1960s and 1970s. Wastewater went into a pond and drainage ditches on-site, resulting in soil and groundwater contamination with chromium and hexavalent chromium. Groundwater contamination affected the Memphis Aquifer, the primary source of drinking water in the area, and posed a potential human health risk. Groundwater contamination also affected two of Collierville’s public drinking water supply wells. The town no longer uses these wells. From 1992 to 2004, the site owners leased part of the property to a tool manufacturer. The company used an iron powder containing chromium in its manufacturing process. In 2002, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) found that facility outfall levels of hexavalent chromium exceeded state water quality criteria. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 2005. EPA leads cleanup activities in cooperation with TDEC. Cleanup activities include removal, treatment and disposal of contaminated soil as well as groundwater extraction and treatment. EPA completed soil cleanup in 2012. A groundwater treatment system was put in place in 2015. As of June 2024 , it has recovered and treated more than 176 million gallons of contaminated groundwater. Groundwater monitoring is ongoing. Institutional controls prevent new wells within a half-mile radius of the site. In December 2021, the site was among those selected by EPA to receive cleanup funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). With this funding, EPA is already initiating work on backlogged remedial construction projects and accelerating cleanups at NPL sites. A self-storage facility and a tire and automotive store are active on-site.
Last updated September 2024

As of December 2023, EPA had data on 2 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 13 people and generated an estimated $2,759,140 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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SOUTHSIDE CHATTANOOGA LEAD

The Southside Chattanooga Lead Superfund site is in Hamilton County and Chattanooga, Tennessee. It includes properties in downtown Chattanooga. From 1882 to 2001, there were as many as 60 foundries in Chattanooga. Lead-bearing foundry waste was used as fill material for residential development across Southside Chattanooga. Contamination was identified in 2011 after a case of illness from exposure to high levels of lead. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 2018. EPA has led several time-critical removal actions to address soil contamination at residential properties and high-impact areas for children. EPA’s Superfund program oversees cleanup and sampling activities. Cleanup includes excavation and off-site disposal of contaminated soil and backfilling excavated areas with clean soil. Soil sampling and cleanups are ongoing. Continued site uses include residential, recreational, industrial and commercial areas. These areas include several neighborhoods and apartment complexes, primary and secondary schools, parks, shopping districts and a community garden. In December 2021, the site was among those selected by EPA to receive cleanup funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. With this funding, EPA is already initiating work on backlogged remedial construction projects and accelerating cleanups at NPL sites. At the Southside Chattanooga Lead site, this funding allowed EPA to add additional cleanup crews to expedite the cleanup and address more properties in a shorter timeframe.
Last updated September 2024

As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.

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VELSICOL CHEMICAL CORP. (HARDEMAN COUNTY)

The 27-acre Velsicol Chemical Corp. (Hardeman County) Superfund site is in Toone, Tennessee. From 1964 to 1973, Velsicol Chemical Corporation ran a landfill on-site for disposal of pesticide manufacturing waste. Its operations contaminated soil, solid waste, air, surface water and groundwater. In 1979, EPA sampling found contamination in private wells. The city of Toone connected homes and businesses to the public water supply. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. Cleanup activities include long-term monitoring of groundwater, surface water, fish tissue and air. They also include landfill upgrades, capping, soil vapor extraction and monitoring. EPA put vapor intrusion systems in two homes to prevent the collection of harmful chemical vapors. Institutional controls limit land and groundwater use and protect the remedy. Operation and maintenance activities and monitoring are ongoing. In 2016, EPA restored 3 acres of the site as pollinator habitat. Other ecological uses on-site include creeks, a pond and wetlands. Fishing and hunting are common activities in the area. In December 2021, the site was among those selected by EPA to receive cleanup funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). With this funding, EPA is already initiating work on backlogged remedial construction projects and accelerating cleanups at NPL sites.
Last updated September 2024

As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.

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WRIGLEY CHARCOAL PLANT

The Wrigley Charcoal Plant Superfund Site (Site) is in Wrigley, Tennessee. Industrial activities at the 330-acre Site took place between 1881 to 1966. Manufacturers sent wastewater into nearby fields, ponds and Mill Creek until the mid-1940s. Pinewood Manufacturing Company leased part of the Site from 1978 to 1983 for metal machining and fabricating. The EPA added the Site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1989. Industrial Plastics operated a plastics recycling facility on-site from 1995 to 2013. In December 2013, a fire at the Industrial Plastics facility destroyed several buildings, resulting in an EPA emergency response. EPA led interim cleanup activities at the Site have included, digging up waste pits treating contaminated soils and connecting at-risk homes to the city water supply. Also, current Institutional Controls implemented at the Site limit land and groundwater use. Ongoing investigations will inform a final plan to address remaining contamination at the Site. A residential area is located on the Clark Hollow part of the Site, and the Hickman County government owns two athletic fields on-site. The area’s ecological resources include a creek and wetlands. In addition, there are several natural springs near the Site.
Last updated September 2024

As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.

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Last updated on October 8, 2024