Creosoted Power Poles

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#006633" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="040d6c00ddvuru.jpg"> <div> <IMG SRC="12fb8980.jpg" border=0 width="184" height="152" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#333399" FACE="Arial" >Creosoted Power Poles    </FONT> |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Puget Sound Creosote Awareness Project"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mission"><U>Mission</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id29.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="General Info About Creosote"><U>General Info About Creosote</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Facts About Creosote"><U>Facts About Creosote</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photos of Lake Hancock"><U>Photos of Lake Hancock</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photos of Double Bluff Beach"><U>Photos of Double Bluff Beach</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photos Near Keystone Ferry"><U>Photos Near Keystone Ferry</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photos from Admiralty Inlet"><U>Photos from Admiralty Inlet</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photos of Ebeys Landing"><U>Photos of Ebey's Landing</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="First Cleanup on Whidbey Island"><U>First Clean-up on Whidbey Island</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="More Cleanup Photos"><U>More Clean-up Photos</U></A>   |   <A HREF="links_to_learn_more_about_creosote.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links to Learn More About Creosote"><U>Links to Learn More About Creosote</U></A>   |   <B>Creosoted Power Poles</B>   |   <A HREF="id30.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Acknowledgements"><U>Acknowledgements</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U>Contact Us</U></A></div> <div> Creosoted Power Poles</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="11" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 16 WIDTH="7"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="16" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="7" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> These photos are of power poles along Hwy 525 near Freeland WA that are processed with creosote. </div> <bR> <div> On a warm day, creosote or other wood treatments on the poles liquifies and runs down the poles into the surrounding soil. The liquid moves downhill carried by rainwater to the ditch at the side of the road. From there it may enter a roadside wetland pond, often used by wildlife as watering holes. Eventually it will be absorbed into the ground. From there it will make its way into the water table or to culverts that empty into Puget Sound.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="0bdb0200.jpg" border=0 width="432" height="288" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The PAH's in creosote become 600 to 1,000 times more toxic to the surrounding air when exposed to sunlight on a warm, sunny day. These poles are placed about 200 feet apart all along our roads and highways. Some sit directly in the ditches that catch rainwater runoff.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="0bf6e260.jpg" border=0 width="366" height="294" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="0c0dc6e0.jpg" border=0 width="220" height="366" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1006a240.jpg" border=0 width="362" height="292" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> When 8 oz. of creosote are spilled onto the ground, the EPA should be notified about a toxic spill. This is a common sight all along our roads. Take a look next time you're driving on Hwy 525.</div> <bR> <div> The following two photos are of a light pole at the local fairgrounds just 4' from the bleachers at the arena. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="153a3030.jpg" border=0 width="419" height="259" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The gray slatted wood is used to protect attendees from rubbing against it as they walk by. It does nothing to protect them from the toxic smell.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="15402c10.jpg" border=0 width="258" height="449" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> This is the base of the pole in the photo above. When I examined the collected ooze at the bottom, I found it to be an approx. 2-1/2 inch thick solidified mass of coal tar creosote. New layers were being added everytime the air temperature was warm enough to liquify it.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>