On January 18, 2024, EPA received
soil sampling data from the November 2023 sampling event at the Benton Creosote Works site located in Benton,
Bossier Parish, Louisiana that shows elevated dioxin levels in soils within an
apartment complex (Palmetto Place Apartments) adjacent to the former creosote
facility. Dioxins were also found in soils
at the adjacent creosote facility. Because residents, including young children,
use this area of the apartment property for recreation, EPA authorized
their emergency response contractors to erect fencing around an area of the
northern section of the apartment complex to restrict access and prevent
possible exposure to the contaminated soil. EPA has also authorized additional
sampling to clearly identify the extent of contamination and decide the best
way to remove the contaminated soil. EPA is currently designing a plan to
begin the excavation of contaminated soils on the Palmetto Place Apartments
property with the goal of completing this emergency response action in March and April of 2024.
During the Palmetto Place Apartment
removal operation, the EPA will be conducting perimeter air monitoring for
particulate matter to ensure engineering controls used during the excavation
are preventing dust from leaving the area.
The removal operation will utilize equipment selected to create the
least amount of disturbance in the excavation zone, water to maintain moisture
in the material, and will wrap excavated soil within the dump trucks with
plastic sheeting to prevent the soil from becoming airborne during transit.
The EPA team has developed an
action level for the particulate matter based upon the EPA’s residential
regional screening levels and the maximum concentration of contaminants in the
soil to be excavated. DustTrak particulate
monitors will be stationed at three different locations surrounding the
Palmetto Place apartments and will collect and send real-time data to a local
computer in the command trailer where it will then be analyzed by the team. This
system enables the user to view 15-minute average dust readings from the
DustTrak stations every 5 minutes and set alarms to notify personnel via text,
email, and the command post computer when dust levels are nearing or exceed the
action level. If the action level is exceeded the team will evaluate site
conditions and operations to determine if the source of the exceedance is due
to site operations or if offsite contributions such as burning brush piles,
highway traffic, etc. may be influencing the readings. A weather station has also been established
onsite to monitor and record wind direction and speed to assist the team in
interpreting the monitoring system.
The EPA team will compile all of
the monitoring data on a daily basis and generate a Particulate Matter
Report. This report will include levels
of particulates, wind speed/direction, and the dates and times the monitors
were running onsite. Reports will be
posted daily on the EPA’s website ("StoryMap" link below).
Click here to view the StoryMap.
