Creosote is a registered pesticide approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Certain plant employees are required to be trained and licensed as certified pesticide applicators by appropriate state agencies.

The Plant Manager is David Shaw. Koppers employs 90 workers at the Somerville plant. At one time, the plant produced crossties, switch ties, bridge timbers and road crossing panels. Presently, wood treatment is limited to cross ties and switch ties. 5.9 million cubic feet of ties were treated at the Somerville Tie Plant in 2006.

The plant occupies approximately 170 acres of land that is located 25 miles southwest of College Station, Texas. Texas State Highway 36 runs through Somerville, as does the BNSF railway. Most of Somerville's residents live in an area west of Highway 36 and the railroad tracks. The plant is located on the east side of the highway and the tracks.

Creosote is pressure applied to the ties in closed treatment cylinders. The combination of pressure impregnation and vacuum processes minimizes the amount of preservative dripping from the treated wood. Unused creosote captured from the cylinders is returned to storage tanks for later use. Freshly treated ties are moved to an EPA approved "drip pad," so called because it is a specifically designed area where any lingering drippage from freshly-treated ties can occur without harming the environment. The treated wood is moved from the pad only after drippage has ceased.

In addition to wood treatment, the plant site is also used to "season" or dry out wood ties prior to treatment. Most of the stacked wood found onsite consists of untreated wood ties. The ties are seasoned for six months to a year prior to treatment.

Koppers generates the energy needed for its treatment process at Somerville through the use of natural gas boilers, the same type of gas used for stoves and appliances within the home. All hazardous solid waste is properly manifested and sent offsite for appropriate disposal, in accordance with regulations established by the EPA and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).

Waste water is treated onsite and tested weekly as it is discharged to Somerville's Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW). Storm water generally flows from the Somerville plant to the southeast away from the populated areas on the west side of Highway 36. Somerville obtains its drinking water from deep well aquifers located four miles north of the plant in Lyons, Texas.

With respect to ongoing operations, the plant is subject to multiple permits relating to potential impacts to air and surface water, among other things. Koppers works hard to comply with all of these permits. When regulatory or permit issues have arisen, Koppers has worked cooperatively with TCEQ to resolve them. The plant has achieved ISO 14001 certification. (For a description of ISO 14001 certification, see Plant History).