St. Maries Site Considered For Superfund Designation Contaminated Soil Still Bleeding Creosote Into St. Joe River

A parcel of land in St. Maries is being considered for Superfund listing because contaminated soil continues to leak creosote into the St. Joe River.

The Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday that it was proposing the 4-acre site for listing.

Creosote is a cancer-causing chemical with the potential to affect boaters and fish, said Greg Weigel, EPA’s on-scene coordinator.

The river is home to threatened and endangered species, including bull trout and westslope cutthrout trout. The river and area ground water supplies are also used for drinking water.

Long-term exposure to low doses of creosote can cause skin blistering; long-term exposure to high levels creates the cancer concern.

If negotiations are successful, then “you avoid the stigma of a Superfund site.”

Jim Comerford, president of Carney Products Co. Ltd “A listing would allow EPA to fund a cleanup, if responsible parties are unable or unwilling to do a cleanup,” Weigel said.

The public has 60 days to comment on the proposed listing.

Jim Comerford said he hopes a Superfund listing can be avoided. Comerford is the president of Carney Products Co. Ltd. The utility pole company currently is leasing the site for peeling and storage from the city of St. Maries.

Although the creosote pollution occurred before Carney Products’ lease, both the company and the city potentially are responsible for cleanup costs.

Comerford said he and city officials are negotiating with the former operators, in hopes that they will take full financial responsibility. He declined to name the former operators.

If negotiations are successful, then “you avoid the stigma of a Superfund site,” Comerford said.

“In the long run, what people really care about is getting everything cleaned up according to every environmental rule and regulation,” he said.

Weigel said EPA was not a party to the negotiations. The agency also is looking into the potential responsibilities of former operators, he said.

Creosote was used as a wood preservative in a pole plant that operated on the site from the 1930s to the 1960s. The city leased the land to a variety of operators.

Creosote contamination first was discovered in the area in 1998, when a sheen was detected on the St. Joe and the riverbank. The chemical was discovered in ground and surface water, soil and river sediments.

EPA ordered the city and Carney Products to clean up the contamination. About 195 tons of debris and soil were removed from the site and sent to a hazardous landfill.

EPA estimated the cleanup costs at $1.3 million, although Comerford said it was much less.

Despite the work, creosote continues to leak into the river, Weigel said. A scientific study is needed to outline the source of the contamination and what further actions should be taken, he said.