atlantic wood industries, inc.

3950 ELM ST

The Atlantic Wood Industries (AWI) site is approximately 48 acres of land on the industrialized waterfront of Portsmouth, Virginia, and 30 to 35 acres of contaminated sediments in the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River. This land is surrounded by the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, the operations center for the Portsmouth Public School District, the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River and several other small industrial properties. From 1926 to 1992, a wood-treating facility operated at the site using both creosote and pentachlorophenol (PCP). The site was contaminated from the treatment operation, storage of treated wood and disposal of wastes. At one time, the Navy leased part of the property from AWI and disposed of waste on site, including used abrasive blast media from the sand blasting of naval equipment. The Navy also disposed of sludge from the production of acetylene in a wetland on the border of the Southgate Annex of the Shipyard and the AWI site. Sediments in the Elizabeth River contain visible creosote. The ground water and soil at the site are also heavily contaminated with creosote. Creosote contamination previously migrated into a storm sewer and discharged to an inlet of the Elizabeth River at the northeast corner of the site near the Jordan Bridge. Currently, AWI operates a pre-stressed concrete products manufacturing facility at the site. The site is about seven miles from the Chesapeake Bay. Approximately 14,000 people work within a half-mile radius of the site. The drinking water supply within a three-mile radius is provided by public utilities. Groundwater in this area is not used as a drinking water source