• MCCORMICK & BAXTER CREOSOTING CO., SAN JOAQUIN County, CA

Stage of Clean-up: Construction Underway

Conditions at Proposal (February 7, 1992): McCormick & Baxter Creosoting Co. formerly operated a wood-preserving facility at 1214 West Washington Street in Stockton, San Joaquin County, California. The 29-acre site is in a light industrial area near the Port of Stockton. Old Mormon Slough, a tributary to the San Joaquin River, borders the site to the north. Except for an 8-acre portion of the site owned and leased by Southern Pacific Railroad Co. since the 1950s, McCormick & Baxter owns the entire site property. From 1942 to 1990, McCormick & Baxter treated utility poles and railroad ties with CREOSOTE, PENTACHLOROPHENOL (PCP), and ARSENIC compounds. Waste oils generated from the wood-treatment processes were disposed of in unlined ponds and concrete tanks on-site. Surface water runoff from the site was discharged to the slough until 1978, when it began to collect in two storm water collection ponds.  More...

Sources of Contamination:

• Discharge to sewer/surface water
• Inadvertent spill
• Lagoon disposal
• Manufacturing process
• Storage - drums/containers of waste
• Storage - finished product
• Storage - raw material
• Waste tank - above ground
• Waste tank - below ground

Soils and groundwater are contaminated with PCP, DIOXIN, polycyclic aromatic HYDROCARBONS (PAHS), which are constituents of CREOSOTE, ARSENIC, CHROMIUM, and COPPER. In addition, non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) are widespread beneath the site. Sediment in Old Mormon Slough adjacent to the site is also contaminated, primarily with PAHS and DIOXIN. Individuals who accidentally ingest or come in direct contact with contaminated soil, sediment or groundwater could be at risk. Drinking water from the deep aquifer has not been affected by any contaminants from the McCormick & Baxter site. Oily seeps from the former oily waste ponds into Old Mormon Slough occurred in the past, although the seeps are now controlled.  More...

Contaminants Detected
	Ground Water	Surface Water	Air	Soil	Other
2,3,4,5-TETRACHLOROPHENOL	X
2,3,5,6-TETRACHLOROPHENOL	X
2,4-DICHLOROPHENOL	X		X
3,4,5-TRICHLOROPHENOL	X
4-NITROPHENOL	X
ACENAPHTHENE	X
ANTHRACENE	X
ARSENIC	X		X
BENZO(A)PYRENE		X
BENZO(B)FLUORANTHENE		X
BENZO(K)FLUORANTHENE					X
CHROMIUM	X
CHRYSENE					X
COPPER					X
COPPER COMPOUNDS					X
DIBENZ(A,H)ANTHRACENE		X
ETHYLBENZENE	X
FLUORANTHENE	X
FLUORENE	X
NAPHTHALENE	X		X
PENTACHLOROPHENOL	X		X		X
PHENANTHRENE	X
PHENOL	X
PYRENE					X
TOLUENE	X
XYLENE (MIXED ISOMERS)	X
XYLENOL	X
ZINC					X
ZINC COMPOUNDS					X

Groundwater and Drinking Water
Were drinking water wells shut down due to contamination?	No
Are drinking water wells potentially threatened?	No data
Aquifer discharges into:	A drinking water aquifer
Population served by water wells in the aquifer:	No data

List ground water uses.

EPA Hazard Ranking System scores for MCCORMICK & BAXTER CREOSOTING CO.:

Less Hazard

National Average

More Hazard

0%					50%					100%

Overall site:

Surface water migration:

Ground water migration:

Air migration:

Rank Superfund sites in the U.S., CALIFORNIA, or in SAN JOAQUIN County by EPA Hazard Ranking Scores.

*Note: EPA's Hazard Ranking System is designed to screen and prioritize sites for the Superfund program, based on limited data available at time of listing. These scores are not based on a comprehensive risk assessment of the site and do not reflect conditions after initiation of cleanup work.

Number of PRPs currently associated with this site:	3
Number of past and present PRPs who contributed less than 1% of the waste:	0
Number of owners/operators which are also municipalities:	0

EPA Site Information

• NPL Fact Sheet
• Government Accounting Office (GAO) assessment
• NPL Site 5 Year Reviews
• Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Information System (CERCLIS) Hazardous Waste Site Information
• Superfund Hazardous Waste Site Advanced Query Form

Scorecard reports for SAN JOAQUIN County on:

• Potential Sources of Land Contamination
• Criteria Air Pollutants
• Hazardous Air Pollutants