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n <br />J.y <br />9 <br />_j|* J <br />' > <br />I . <br />f <br />u ik <br />M. ^«/C9C <br />* ■ V*\ <br />.'i <br />1^ <br />^nSr Minnesota Poiiution Control Agency <br />(612) 296-7250 <br />November 15, 1976 <br />Mr. Robert S. Solie <br />1100 North Arm Drive <br />Mound, Minnesota 55364 <br />Dear Mr. Solie; <br />This letter is in reply to your November 3, 1976 correspondence <br />requesting information on the water pollution potential of weathered <br />creosoted railroad ties. From a previous telephone conversation <br />with you, it is my understanding that your town board is concerned <br />over the potential contamination of surface water with creosote. <br />Creosote is a derivative of the distillation of coal tar produced <br />by high temperature distillation and carbonization of bituminous <br />coal. Creosote contains primarily liquid and solid aromatic hydro­ <br />carbons and may contain tar acids and tar bases. Creosote has been <br />used as a wood preset.ative since the 1840's but is being used less <br />by the wood preserving industry than in the past. Railroad companies, <br />however, have continued to use creosote due to its ability to reduce <br />the mechanical wear of wood ties by its oily, waxy properties. The <br />purpose of the treating operation is to impregnate the wood cells <br />with the preservative to decrease the susceptibility to rot. The <br />effect of the addition of the wood preservative is to extend the <br />useful life of the wood. <br />It would appear that weathered railroad ties that have been salvaged <br />from abandoned railroad spurs would not have a significant impact <br />on the quality of surface runoff where these ties are utilized for <br />landscaping purposes. The amount of creosote residue in these ties <br />is relatively less than what new ties would contain. Surface drain­ <br />age from existing railroad beds has not been determined to cause <br />contamination of surface waters with creosote and therefore it is <br />unreasonable to imply that salvaged ties used for landscaping are <br />damaging to water quality. <br />lv;>5 Coun’v' f?ood K’oseviMe. <br />i’epton-j'oit cei* • / Qiaif.tM I ! o'ga:. FcMr hn!l - kosovniw <br />lu'ni < f. <br />;j <br />n <br />0 <br />,‘lc <br />* T <br />■j' <br />t ■