"Cindy" wrote in message
m...
Mike Harris typed:
Howdy folks,

On my way home yesterday I happened to drive down East 5th street
between Comal and Chicon (in front of Cafe Mundi). Workers have
removed the railroad tracks and have stacked up the ties in piles.

I don't know what their intent is, but if they're fixin' to
landfill them you might be able to grab a few before they haul them
off.

They've done that here too. But aren't the ties treated with nasty stuff?
I thought it was bad to use them.

Cindy

Creosote; the phenols don't migrate into the soil to any degree particularly
once they're well-aged. Uptake into plants is nil.

You may be thinking of CCA treated wood; jOhN posted a link to a very well
reasoned article in another thread recently.

The safety of either preservative is open to debate; although I happen not
to use either creosote or CCA treated wood in my garden I would not have any
particular objection to either. I'm exposed to larger quantities of toxins
from other sources than I would ever be from treated wood; IMO it's
ludicrous to worry about the possiblilty of tiny traces of similar toxins
ending up in my home grown food.

Some people fear snakes and scorpions; some fear chemicals. I can't
determine for you where your comfort level is or how you should weigh the
risks against the benefits. If you are concerned about leaching then by all
means don't use railroad ties.
--
Mike Harris
Austin, TX