Media Release

Below is a joint press release from Alachua County and the City of Gainesville

ALACHUA COUNTY, GAINESVILLE, FL—City of Gainesville and Alachua County officials have approved a voluntary plan by Cabot Corporation to begin clean-up and removal of pine tar deposits from segments of Springstead and Hogtown creeks beginning in January 2011.  The pine tar deposits are historical residue from a discharge from the former Cabot site that occurred 44-years ago.  The clean-up will focus on 17 isolated creek areas containing pine tar buried 18 to 24 inches underground, which were previously identified by the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department (ACEPD).  The proposed locations for tar removal are identified in the attached FACT sheet map.  

 “This is an interim removal plan to address areas of the creeks containing significant tarry deposits and address citizen concerns about potential contact with the deposits.  It is not the intent of this interim action plan to address all site related contamination in the creeks nor is this action the final Superfund remedy,” said ACEPD Director Chris Bird.

The Cabot Corporation pine tar removal work plan has been reviewed and tentatively approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), ACEPD, and the City of Gainesville.

The work is expected to take one to two days at each clean-up area with a total project duration of approximately 7 to 8 weeks, weather permitting.  The clean-up is scheduled during a traditional period of dry weather when creek water levels are low.  Weston Solutions has been contracted by Cabot Corporation to perform the work.  Cabot and Weston Solutions will seek property access from affected property owners adjacent to the creek segments identified for tar removal during the next few weeks.

They are informing the public about the proposed work by providing a fact sheet describing the project and a frequently asked questions list.  The fact sheet will be distributed to the property owners near creek work areas and to residents who have been identified by the various mailing lists maintained by the EPA, City of Gainesville, and Alachua County.  Once finalized, the work plan and fact sheet and other project details will be made available to the public on the City of Gainesville and the Alachua County websites.

Click here to view Fact Sheet and map.

Click here to view the Frequently Asked Questions.

General questions about the proposed work can be directed to:

Mr. Stewart Pearson, P.E.

City of Gainesville

352-334-5072 (pearsonse@ci.gainesville.fl.us) and/or

Dr. John Mousa, Pollution Prevention Manager

 Alachua County Environmental Protection

352-264-6805 (jjm@alachuacounty.us).  

Detailed questions about the proposed work plan can also be directed to:  

Mark Taylor, Project Manager  

Weston Solutions

904-261-3085 Mark.Taylor@WestonSolutions.com  and/or   

Wayne M. Reiber, Envir.  Assessment & Remediation Manager

Cabot Corporation

617-342-6023

wayne_reiber@cabot-corp.com