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NPL Site Narrative for Marion Pressure Treating
MARION PRESSURE TREATING
Marion, Louisiana
Federal Register Notice: February 4, 2000Conditions at Proposal (October 22, 1999): The Marion Pressure Treating site encompasses a former wood treating facility that applied creosote to wood products as a preservative. The facility is situated on a 10-acre tract of land in a rural area located along State Highway 551, approximately 0.5 mile north of the junction of State Highways 551 and 33 in the town of Marion, Union Parish, Louisiana. The facility is bounded to the north, south, and east by forest land. 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. An unnamed tributary, which empties into Big Creek, borders the western property boundary.
The facility treated wood products, including poles, bridge pilings, fence posts, and other lumber, using a creosote pressure impregnation process. The facility began operations in November 1964 and ceased operations in October 1989 due to bankruptcy. Creosote contaminated process wastewater was generated during the wood treatment process and was disposed on site from 1964 to 1983 in an unlined surface impoundment.
EPA collected samples from material in tanks, ground water, soil, and sediment on the property and surrounding area during investigations conducted from 1994 to March 1999. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) completed additional investigations at the site in April 1999. The EPA and LDEQ investigations revealed the presence of volatile and semivolatile organic compounds, specifically polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), in the former process area, tank product storage area, monitoring wells, and drainage pathways located on the eastern and western sides of the processing area. In addition, black, creosote-stained soil was noted in many locations throughout the site. In November 1996, EPA funded the removal and offsite disposal of four loads of creosote sludge from tanks at the facility. As part of the removal action, EPA also funded the excavation of creosote-stained soil and debris from the southern, northwestern, and eastern areas of the facility and the consolidation and capping of the excavated material in the former process area.
Several clusters of small creosote piles have also been identified in the woods south of the facility, adjacent to and upgradient of the wetlands and Big Creek. Erosion has occurred on the eastern and western sides of the consolidation area, threatening to undermine the integrity of the cap and surrounding fence. The liner covering the contaminated soil in the consolidation area is exposed at several locations, and erosion could result in the further spread of contamination.
Sediment samples collected from the Big Creek indicate that the Big Creek and bordering wetlands have been impacted by contamination from the facility. Bayou de Loutre, which receives water from the Big Creek, is classified by LDEQ as a natural and scenic stream and is used for the recreational fishing of catfish, panfish, white perch, and bass. A State wildlife management area is located 4 miles north of Marion, and the Upper Ouachita Wildlife Refuge is located approximately 5 miles east of Marion, where federally listed endangered species such as the red-cockaded woodpecker and the bald eagle are known to live. Based on the limited investigation to date, the site does not appear to pose a threat to local residents through the water supply, air migration, or direct contact with contaminated soil.
Status (February 2000): EPA is considering various alternatives for this site.
For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.