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Onalaska Wood Pyrolysis Plant

 
Site Contact:
Brooks Stanfield
On Scene Coordinator

(stanfield.brooks@epa.gov)

Site Location:
1674 State HWY 508
Chehalis, WA 98532
 epaosc.org/onalaskapyrolysis

The Site includes an 8-acre former sawmill facility that was converted into an industrial facility for the
pyrolysis of wood waste in 2015. The pyrolysis process generated a wood biochar product that was
intended to be sold primarily as a soil amendment for agricultural applications. Two principal byproducts are
also generated through this method of producing biochar: wood tar and wood vinegar.

The original operator – Onalaska Wood Energy, LLC (OWE) – that began pyrolysis activities at the Site,
operated from 2015 to 2018 under a lease agreement. During this period OWE reported to the Washington
Department of Ecology Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction Program (Ecology) that concentrations of
toxics in the wood tar and wood vinegar fell below state and federal hazardous waste thresholds and that
there was a market for the product. During this period Ecology received complaints that OWE was dumping waste onto the bare ground, stormwater ponds and into their sewer lines.  OWE was unsuccessful in providing verifiable analytical data to support the claims regarding a nonhazardous waste designation and never successfully identified a market for the waste. In March 2020 the company ceased operations and dissolved the corporation leaving an estimated 100,000 gallons of accumulated wood tar and wood vinegar waste at the Site.

Samples of wood tar and wood vinegar taken by EPA during a 2021 Removal Site Evaluation (RSE) detected elevated concentrations of several hazardous substances in each material. Due to elevated benzene concentrations the wood tar is designated as a D018 characteristic Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Hazardous Waste for toxicity. Two contaminants: 2methylphenol (o-cresol) and 4methylphenol (p-cresol) were detected at high enough concentrations that the waste is designated as a D023 and D024 characteristic RCRA Hazardous Waste for toxicity. The pH of wood vinegar consistently fell between 2.5 and 3.

The abandoned hazardous waste poses a threat of release because of the poor condition of containers, absence of secondary containment, recent history of uncontrolled fires and structural failures, evidence of past releases, and a lack of persons or agencies able to manage the waste appropriately. EPA initiated a Time-Critical Removal Action on June 14, 2021.


Secondary containment following decontamination and sidewall removal. Decontamination of equipment prior to demobilization. Decontamination of debris inside secondary containment. Solidifying wood tar and sludge from a tote using wood chips and sawdust. Decanting neutralized wood vinegar from totes by running liquid through a 200-micron sock filter as it is pumped into a tanker truck. Worker cutting contaminated steel AST base using a chop saw before placing debris in waste bin for shipment off-Site. Workers screening wood vinegar totes for pH prior to NaOH treatment. Workers pumping NaOH into wood vinegar totes. Workers initiating reaction of NaOH with wood vinegar using a power mixer. Workers transferring NaOH into wood vinegar totes to stabilize pH to desired range of 6.0-7.0 before pumping into tanker trucks. EPA crews used a man lift to decant AST #3 of several thousand gallons of wood vinegar. An excavator bucket is used to mix the wood tar with wood chips until the material is adequately solidified. Solidification of wood tar removed from ASTs #1 and #2, which was carried out inside containment by mixing tar with wood chips available on-site. Demolition of AST #2 Workers solidifying wood tar sludge from the floor of the AST containment area. Workers decanting wood vinegar from totes. Workers decanting wood vinegar from totes. Liquids were transferred into a 5,000-gallon tanker truck and transported to a disposal facility. Replacing the top on AST #2 after decanting wood vinegar/ Demolition of AST #2 Preparing to decant and demolish AST #2 EPA START contractor assessing steel drums with rags and sorbent materials contaminated with wood tar waste inside. At least two drums appear to be pressurized and bulging. One drum forcefully ejected its lid once loosened. Air monitors detected elevated concentrations of hydrogen cyanide gas following the opening of these drums. EPA contract workers handling EPA contractors collect sample of wood vinegar from tanker truck prior to shipment off-site. Totes for of wood vinegar and wood tar staged for decanting.