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NPL Site Narrative for Mallard Bay Landing Bulk Plant
MALLARD BAY LANDING BULK PLANT
Grand Cheniere, Louisiana
Federal Register Notice: July 27, 2000
Conditions at Proposal (May 11, 2000): Mallard Bay Landing Bulk Plant formerly known as Talen's Landing Bulk Plant is an inactive and abandoned crude oil refinery and bulk storage facility located on the north bank of the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), near mile marker 193, 23 miles northeast of Grand Cheniere, Cameron Parish, Louisiana. The site comprises a 10-acre tract of land bordered to the north and west by an unnamed road, and to the south by Talen's Marine and Fuel, an active refueling facility and dock. Wooded wetlands border the eastern, western, and southern portions of the facility property. The site is being proposed to the NPL based on evidence that hazardous substances, including styrene, other organic aromatic compounds, and metals, including arsenic, chromium, lead, and mercury have migrated and/or could migrate to nearby water bodies, including the ICW, Grand Lake, Mermentau River, White Lake, Gueydan Canal, bayous, other small water bodies, and associated wetlands. These water bodies are used for recreational and commercial fishing and provide habitat for numerous waterbird nesting colonies and other wildlife.
In early 1980 through 1983, the Mallard Bay Landing Bulk Plant facility operated as a crude oil refinery. Mixed crude oil was refined to produce naphtha, diesel fuel, and No. 6 fuel oil. In August 1985, under new ownership, the facility resumed crude oil refining operations and continued operations until early 1987, when the owners filed for bankruptcy and the facility was closed. In 1987, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality-Hazardous Waste Division (LDEQ-HWD) conducted a site inspection in response to the bankruptcy proceedings. LDEQ noted that the facility had allegedly accepted hazardous waste fuels for which it was not permitted and had received and attempted to process styrene, a compound commonly used to produce plastics.
The facility was actively monitored by the Louisiana Department of Natural Resource (LDNR) and LDEQ during its operational years. Based on information obtained during a 1993 site inspection, LDEQ referred the site to EPA in June 1993. On July 30, 1996, EPA organized a removal assessment which included the sampling and analysis of tanks and drums located on site, and an evaluation of appropriate treatment and disposal options. From January to March 1999, EPA oversaw the removal and off-site disposal of approximately 866,304 gallons of oil/waste material from on-site tanks. 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. Chemical analyses of this remaining tank waste revealed 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 area containing the tank waste revealed elevated levels of arsenic, barium, copper, manganese, mercury, nickel, vanadium, and zinc.
More than 20 miles of wetland frontage exist within 15 miles of the facility. Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge is located approximately 10 miles west of the facility, and recreational fishing has been documented at Talen's Marine and Fuel, approximately 500 feet south of the facility. Grand Lake, located within Lacassine National Wildlife 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.
Status (July 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.