Gainesville crews begin pipe work at Cabot Koppers site
Alachua County officials say construction will replace a stormwater ditch before contaminated soil removal begins.
By Fernando Rojas ·
The first shovel work for the next round of cleanup at the Cabot Koppers Superfund site began this week in Gainesville.
Alachua County records mark this as the opening week of preparation following federal approval for the phase. Crews are staging to swap an existing stormwater ditch for a new pipe system. The EPA's approved scope pairs that pipe work with removal of contaminated soil. A plan for an underground barrier was announced recently.
Chris Gilbert, Alachua County's hazardous materials program manager, said the pipe installation runs from this month through the end of January. "They're gonna be doing the stormwater management conveyance pipe system that's going to replace the ditch. Will be happening between November and the end of January," Gilbert said. Soil removal is slated to finish by February. Construction of the underground wall is scheduled between March and July 2027.
Gilbert said that wall is meant to hold contamination in place rather than pull it from the ground.
Residents have raised questions about the site for decades, pointing to water quality and wildlife. Warning signs posted at the property tell people to keep clear of the soil and water.
Source: WCJB
