County scientists will use grant money this January to perform tests on possible hazards of a local contaminated site.
A $108,295 grant will be used toward existing programs and also to fund projects to test the water and sediment at Cabot-Koppers, a location off North Main Street known as a Superfund site by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The site was contaminated by a wood-preserving chemical plant, which is still on the site.
The soil at Cabot-Koppers will be tested for wood-preserving chemicals, such as arsenic and copper, that are used at the plant, said John Mousa, pollution prevention manager with the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department.
Springstead Creek, which flows through the site from North Main Street into Hogtown Creek, will be tested for toxic materials, Mousa said.
Residents around the creek have observed some tar in the water and at the bottom of the creek and have begun to ask questions, he said.
"There were concerns that this tar might be hazardous," he said. He said the tests would determine whether this is true.
Mousa said the last time the sediment was tested was about 10 years ago, and the tests were not extensive.
"This is going to be a much more thorough, more comprehensive service," he said.
Superfund sites can be found all over the country, he said.
He said the sites are contaminated and either must be cleaned up or the contamination needs to be contained.
Mousa hopes these tests will address some of the residents' concerns, though he is unsure of how the tests will turn out.
