Community Involvement Plan
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COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PLAN MARION PRESSURE TREATING COMPANY SUPERFUND SITE Union Parish, Louisiana April 2011 U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Marion Pressure Treating Company Community Involvement Plan Page 1 April 2011 004518 REGION 6 THE U. S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY’S (EPA) SUPERFUND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM IS COMMITTED TO PROMOTING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN CITIZENS AND THE AGENCY. ACTIVE PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IS CRUCIAL TO THE SUCCESS OF ANY PUBLIC PROJECT. EPA’S COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT ACTIVITIES AT THE MARION PRESSURE TREATING COMPANY SUPERFUND SITE UNION PARISH, LOUISIANA ARE DESIGNED TO INFORM THE PUBLIC OF THE NATURE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH THE SITE, INVOLVE THE PUBLIC IN THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS THAT WILL AFFECT THEM, INVOLVE THE PUBLIC IN THE RESPONSES UNDER CONSIDERATION TO REMEDY THESE ISSUES, AND INFORM THE PUBLIC OF THE PROGRESS BEING MADE TO IMPLEMENT THE REMEDY. Marion Pressure Treating Company Community Involvement Plan Page 2 April 2011 004519 Table of Contents Section Page 1.0 Overview of the Community Involvement Plan ......................................................4 2.0 Capsule Site Description ..........................................................................................4 2.1 Site History ..................................................................................................4 2.2 Site Description/Location ............................................................................5 2.3 Site Inspections/Assessments.......................................................................5 3.0 Community Background ..........................................................................................6 3.1 Community Profile.......................................................................................6 3.2 History of Community Involvement ............................................................6 3.3 Key Community Concerns ...........................................................................6 3.4 Response to Community Concerns ..............................................................6 3.5 Summary of Communication Needs ............................................................6 4.0 EPA’s Community Involvement Program ...............................................................7 4.1 The Plan .......................................................................................................7 4.2 Time Frame Summary for Community Involvement Activities ................11 Appendices: A EPA Regional Contacts .........................................................................................12 B Local Officials .......................................................................................................13 C State Officials ........................................................................................................14 D Federal Elected Officials .......................................................................................15 E Environmental and Active Citizens Groups ..........................................................16 F Media Contacts ......................................................................................................17 G Meeting Locations .................................................................................................19 H Repository Locations .............................................................................................20 I Hospitals ....................………………………………………………………….. 21 Marion Pressure Treating Company Community Involvement Plan Page 3 April 2011 004520 Section 1.0 Overview of the Community Involvement Plan The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed this Community Involvement Plan to facilitate two-way communication between the communities in and surrounding the Marion Pressure Treating Superfund Site and EPA and to encourage community involvement in site activities. EPA will utilize the community involvement activities outlined in this plan to ensure that residents are continuously informed and provided opportunities to be involved. This Community Involvement Plan addresses the Marion Pressure Treating site’s relationship to the community and EPA (Section 2.0), provides a background of the communities (Section 3.0), presents EPA’s community involvement program (Section 4.0), and provides a listing of resources available (Appendices). EPA drew upon several information sources to develop this plan, including community interviews and site files. EPA’s Regional Office will oversee the implementation of the community involvement activities outlined in this Plan. Section 2.0 Capsule Site Description 2.1 Site History The Marion Pressure Treating Company began operations on November 1, 1964 and ceased operations on October 10, 1989 because of bankruptcy. From the beginning of operations, creosote was used exclusively for the wood-preserving operations. Creosote-contaminated process wastewater was generated during wood treatment and disposed of in an on-site, unlined surface impoundment from 1964 until 1985. Several inspections were conducted by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) in the early 1980’s and early 1990’s. In particular, during the inspection conducted on September 30, 1992, LDEQ noted that the facility was completely abandoned with no evidence of recent activity. In 1995, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Technical Assistance Team (TAT) conducted a Removal Site Assessment following a request by the LDEQ. This assessment, and subsequent more detailed site assessments conducted by the EPA TAT through 1995, indicated elevated levels of creosote in soil and sediment samples. A time-critical removal action to provide source control was completed by EPA in 1997. During the removal action, several site structures and tank contents were removed from the site. Sections of surface soil contaminated with creosote near the main facility operations area were consolidated into an area onsite. On February 4, 2000, the site was added to the National Priorities List (NPL) and a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) was initiated to define the nature and extent of contamination and to identify remedial alternatives to address the site’s contamination. Marion Pressure Treating Company Community Involvement Plan Page 4 April 2011 004521 2.2 Site Description/Location The former facility is situated on a 10-acre tract of land along State Highway 551, approximately .5 miles north of the junction of State Highway 551 and State Highway 33 in the town of Marion, Union Parish, Louisiana. Facility operations extended beyond the 10-acres and current areas of concern cover over 22 acres. The facility, located in a rural area, is an inactive and abandoned wood treating plant that was in operation from 1964 to 1989. The facility treated wood products, including poles, bridge pilings, fence posts, and other lumber, using a creosote-pressure impregnation process. Marion, one of the oldest towns in Union Parish, was settled by people from Alabama who named it after their home county in that state. It was first incorporated on January 13, 1909. There is currently a reported population of 756. The facility is bounded by forestland. Big Creek, a small surface water body, lies approximately 500 feet east-southeast of the facility. Big Creek empties into Bayou de Loutre approximately 7.5 miles south of the facility. Bayou de Loutre is classified as a natural and scenic stream and is used for the recreational fishing of catfish, panfish, white perch, and bass. A Louisiana wildlife management area is located 4 miles north of Marion. The Upper Ouachita Wildlife Refuge is located approximately 5 miles east, and federally listed endangered species such as the red-cockaded woodpecker and the bald eagle are known to live there. 2.3 Site Inspections/Assessments During an EPA removal action in 1996 and 1997, process equipment was decontaminated and demolished. Demolition debris and waste creosote liquids and sludges were disposed of offsite. Also, during the removal action, contaminated soil containing concentrations of total Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH)(used to line storage tanks) above 100 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) was put into the consolidation area and covered with a 2-foot clay cap, a geosynthetic fabric (marker layer) and 18 inches of top soil. The marker layer was placed on top of the clay to mark the top of the clay, but covered only portions of the consolidation area. LDEQ conducted an expanded site investigation (ESI) during April 1999 to collect additional data needed to determine future actions at the Marion Pressure Treatment Site. The ESI data confirmed the presence of PAHs in ground water, sediment, and waste material. Sediment samples indicated PAHs in Big Creek; PAH contamination was not detected in the Unnamed Tributary. The waste material was located in the tanker trailer, wastewater treatment sump, and two waste piles, which are referred to collectively as waste units. The waste piles are located south of the MPTC site with a waste material quantity estimated at 3.75 yards. Erosion was observed on the east and west sides of the consolidation area, Marion Pressure Treating Company Community Involvement Plan Page 5 April 2011 004522 possibly undermining the integrity of the cap and surrounding fence. The marker layer currently covering the clay cap is exposed at several locations, and future erosion could release contamination from the consolidation area. Approximately