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Cameron Parish, La., Site Proposed to Superfund Priorities List

Release Date: 5/11/2000
Contact Information: For more information contact the Office of External Affairs at (214) 665-2200.

     The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes to add the Talen's Landing Bulk Plant in Cameron Parish, La., to the federal Superfund National Priorities List (NPL), EPA and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) announced today. Hazardous substances from this oil refinery have migrated and/or could migrate to nearby water bodies which provide recreational and commercial fishing and habitat for numerous waterbird nesting colonies and other wildlife.

     "Adding this site to the Superfund list makes federal dollars available to allow EPA and the LDEQ to speed their cleanup and meet the agencies' commitment to protecting public health and our environment," EPA Regional Administrator Gregg Cooke said.

     LDEQ Secretary J. Dale Givens said, "Since 1997, all proceeds of Louisiana's hazardous waste tax have been dedicated to cleaning up potentially dangerous sites. In remediating larger sites such as these, however, Louisiana and most other states depend on our partnership with EPA for additional funding. This federal-state partnership was made possible when Congress created the federal Superfund program in 1980."

     From 1980 to 1983, and again from 1985 until its ownership declared bankruptcy in 1987, the facility refined crude oil to produce naphtha, diesel fuel, and No. 6 fuel oil. The 10-acre facility also allegedly accepted hazardous waste fuels for which it was not permitted and received and attempted to process styrene, a compound commonly used to produce plastics.

     In response to a referral from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, EPA oversaw the removal and off-site disposal of approximately 866,304 gallons of oil/waste material from on-site tanks from January to March 1999.  An additional 152,392 gallons of thick, sludge-like oil/waste material could not be removed from some tanks due to its consistency and remains on site.  

     The remaining tank waste contains elevated concentrations of styrene, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, 2-methylnaphthalene, naphthalene, arsenic, barium, chromium, copper, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, vanadium, and zinc.  Sediment samples collected from the wetlands adjacent to the tank waste area revealed elevated levels of most of these constituents.

     General information regarding the effects of exposure to these substances on human health is available at the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs web page on the Internet at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html.

     Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge is approximately 10 miles west of the facility. Grand Lake, located within the Refuge, is the primary commercial fishing grounds for both freshwater and marine species in Cameron Parish.  Grand Lake and Mermentau River are the principal remaining habitats for the Paddlefish, an endangered species in the state of Louisiana.

     The EPA Superfund program works closely with state agencies to clean and restore uncontrolled contaminated properties. Superfund cleans sites when the work required is beyond the resources of state and local agencies.

     EPA will seek public comments for 60 days on adding this site to the NPL. Those comments will be addressed before the Agency makes the final decision about adding the site to the NPL. During this public comment period, the Agency will continue to develop cleanup plans so that actual work may begin as quickly after NPL listing as possible.

     Send comments by July 10, 2000, to Docket Coordinator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, CERCLA Docket Office (Mail Code 5201 G), Ariel Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20460, 703.603.9232.

     Comments may also be submitted by express mail. Send original and three copies of comments (no facsimiles or tapes) to Docket Coordinator, Headquarters, U.S. EPA, CERCLA Docket Office, 1235 Jefferson Davis Highway, Crystal Gateway #1, First Floor, Arlington, VA 22202, or by e-mail in ASCII format only to superfund.docket@epa.gov.

     Additional information about this site is available on the EPA web site at
https://www.epa.gov/superfund/new/newnpl.htm.
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