Just found out my 'vintage' lumber is actually full of toxic creosote

I was building a raised garden bed last week and grabbed some old railway ties from a demolition site near my house. I figured it was a steal because the wood looked solid and weathered. Then I looked up the EPA guidelines on creosote treated wood and found out it leaches chemicals into soil for decades. I had already cut three of them with my circular saw before I stopped. Now I'm stuck with this pile of contaminated wood and no clue how to dispose of it properly in Edmonton. Has anyone dealt with dropping off hazardous lumber at the Eco Station or should I just bag it up and pay the fee?

3 comments

3 Comments

william_taylor2mo agoMost Upvoted

Yeah the Eco Station on 97th Street takes creosote wood but you have to call ahead. They usually charge by the pound for hazardous waste. Bagging it up is smart so it doesn't leak onto your truck bed or car interior. A friend of mine dropped off a truckload of treated railway ties there last year and they made him sign a waiver and show ID. They also limit how much you can bring per visit so check their website for the max weight. Just don't try to sneak it into regular yard waste because that's how people get fined around here.

tessa3942mo ago

Oh wow, I gotta say I used to be the guy who thought "eh, it's just wood, what's the big deal" about tossing treated lumber in with regular yard waste. But hearing they actually check IDs and have strict limits totally changed my mind. It makes sense though - that creosote stuff is nasty and you don't want it leaching into the groundwater or whatever. I'm glad I saw this before I tried to dump some old fence posts, because I definitely would have just thrown them in the green bin and gotten a fat fine.

tyler1762mo ago

Wait, they actually made him show ID just to dump treated wood? That's wild, I had no idea they were that strict about it.