Feasibility Study
The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) is providing this fact sheet to inform the community about the Feasibility Study (FS) for the Sherwin-Williams Company property (Sherwin-Williams). A FS is a document that identifies goals and objectives for the cleanup action, evaluates cleanup alternatives, and recommends a cleanup alternative to address the contamination found at a site. The Sherwin- Williams FS includes 2 properties: Sherwin-Williams located at 1450 Sherwin Avenue, Emeryville, California and a portion of the adjacent former Rifkin property, located at 4525 - 4563 Horton Street, Emeryville, California. Collectively, these two properties are referred to as the “Site”.

Sherwin-Williams Manufacturing Plant
Sherwin-Williams operated a manufacturing plant that produced a wide variety of paints and coatings between 1919 and 2006. Pesticides containing lead and arsenic were also manufactured at the plant from the 1920s until the late 1940s. Sherwin-Williams closed its operations at the site in December 2006. These former operations caused soil and groundwater contamination.

Volatile Organic Compounds
Arsenic is the main chemical of concern in soil and groundwater. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and other metals have also been found in the soil. VOCs, other metals, and naphthalene have been found in the groundwater.

Consultants and contractors for Sherwin Williams implemented their remedial action during 2011 and the begining of 2012. The most recent DTSC Fact Sheet describing the project and the soil transportation plan can be found with all the other technical documentation here.