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NPL Site Narrative for D.L. Mud, Inc.
D. L. MUD, INC.
Abbeville, Louisiana
Federal Register Notice: October 4, 1989Conditions at proposal (June 24, 1988): The D. L. Mud, Inc., Site covers 12.8 acres in the south-central section of Louisiana approximately 2.5 miles southwest of Abbeville, Vermilion Parish. The site is composed of an inactive drilling mud facility and a vacant lot. It is 1.5 miles west of the Vermilion River, which flows to the Gulf of Mexico. Adjacent to the southeast portion of the site is the Gulf Coast Vacuum Services Site, which is also being proposed for the NPL at this time. The two sites were once known as the Galveston-Houston Yard.
The D. L. Mud, Inc., Site was owned and operated by Gulf Premix Mud and Vacuum Service Co. until 1979, when it was sold to Galveston-Houston Fluid Services, Inc. In 1981, it was purchased by Dowell Fluid Services, a subsidiary of Dow Chemical, Inc. Dowell sold the facility in 1984 or early 1985 to D. L. Mud, Inc., without operating it. D. L. Mud went out of business in 1986-87.
While the site was operating, oil drilling muds, salt water, and other drilling fluids were placed in 11 on-site tanks. On-site soil contains organic compounds, including alkanes and related compounds, lead, and arsenic, according to EPA tests conducted in December 1985. An average of 20 feet of alluvial terrace deposits of low-to-moderate permeability overlie the shallow sand aquifer, which is used for drinking water and irrigation. Contamination has been found at a depth of at least 2 feet, indicating the potential for contaminants to move into ground water. Approximately 2,600 people obtain drinking water and about 1,000 acres of cropland are irrigated by private wells within 3 miles of the site. Another 9,000 acres are irrigated with surface water, which is potentially threatened by the site.
The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) negotiated an agreement for site cleanup with Dowell Schlumberger, present owner of the site. The company removed drilling muds from the tanks and sent them to the Dow Chemical Co. plant in Plaquemine, Louisiana, where they were incinerated. The tanks and piping were dismantled, cleaned, and hauled to a metal salvage facility. Contaminated soil under and around tanks was removed to undisturbed clay and taken to the Dow facility for incineration. Excavated areas were backfilled with clean soil. Used drilling muds were also removed from portions of the site where they had been dumped. LDEQ representatives were present during the cleanup.
Status (October 4, 1989): In early August 1989, EPA sent notice letters to 300 parties potentially responsible for wastes associated with the site informing them of their potential liability.
EPA expects the potentially responsible parties to start a remedial investigation/feasibility study by early 1990 to determine the type and extent of contamination at the site and identify alternatives for remedial action.
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.