All News Releases By Date

Guideco Properties LLC in Monroe Ready for Reuse

Release Date: 01/11/2011
Contact Information: Jean Kelly at 225-219-3966, Jean.Kelly@LA.GOV, Dave Bary or Joe Hubbard at 214-665-2200 or r6press@epa.gov

(BATON ROUGE – January 11, 2011) The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Guideco Properties LLC, celebrated the completion of a Ready for Reuse project at a ceremony at DEQ today. Guideco was awarded a determination letter and certificate by DEQ and EPA signifying that the site has been cleaned and can be put back into use.

The property encompassed by this Ready for Reuse Determination is located on Millhaven Road in Monroe. The site was a former GM automobile headlight manufacturing facility consisting of an approximately 425,000 square foot manufacturing /distribution building on 182.2 acres. After investigations of the property it was determined that there were five areas of interest about soil contaminants and a soil remediation plan was submitted to DEQ. As a result, over 600 tons of soil was excavated and the excavations were backfilled with clean material. After retesting the soil, DEQ and EPA have concluded that Guideco has successfully conducted investigation and risk management activities.

A Ready for Reuse Determination is an acknowledgment by DEQ and EPA that environmental conditions on the property are protective of human health and the environment based on its current and anticipated future use.

“Guideco Properties LLC. has been diligent in demonstrating that a clean environment is important to them. This ceremony is a testament to the work many people put into cleaning up this land and getting it ready to be put back into use.” said Peggy Hatch DEQ Secretary. “The Ready for Reuse program is beneficial for economic reasons because land can be put back into use and is now productive again. It’s good for the environment and the economy because the contamination was addressed in a way that meets state and federal standards.”

“Cleaning up contaminated property and returning it to productive use is one of our top priorities,” said EPA Regional Administrator Al Armendariz. “As we commemorate 40 years of EPA's work, the Ready for Reuse program is clearly one of our most successful programs in protecting the environment and restoring communities.”

For more information about DEQ’s voluntary remediation program, please visit www.deq.louisiana.gov or www.epa.gov to learn about EPA’s Land Revitalization Action Agenda.