OSWER/OSRTI Washington, DC 20460



## N ATIONAL 

## P RIORITIES 

## L IST 

## (NPL)

[The description of the site (release) is based on information av ailable at the time the site was evaluated with the HRS. The d escription may change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination.]

For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regardi ng 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. ***Proposed Site*** March 2011


### RED PANTHER CHEMICAL COMPANY Clarksdale, Mississippi Coahoma County

à Site Location:
The Red Panther Chemical Company site is approximately 6.5 acres located at 1201 Norm andy Avenue in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The property is in a mixed commercial-residential area. The 18 th Street Neighborhood is located to the west

of the site.

 ́ Site History:
Red Panther operated as a pesticides formulation plan t between 1949 and 1996, producing liquid and dry herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides.

r Site Contamination/Contaminants:
Chemicals contained in formulated pesticide products produced at the facility included toxaphene, aldrin, arsenic, and DDT. Investigations found widespread and significant on-site so il contamination with arsenic and chlorinated pesticides. Additionally, sample results indicated contaminants had migrat ed off site via drainage ditches. In November 1985, a fire

burned down one warehouse on site. Contam inated runoff from the firefighting effort caused a fish kill in the nearby Sunflower River. During the investigation and cleanup af ter the fire, 382 old fiber drums were discovered in the crawlspace below the burned warehouse. Ni nety-five of the drums contained trace residues of technical grade dieldrin, requiring disposal at a commercial hazardous waste facility.

v Potential Impacts on Surrounding Community/Environment:
Sampling activities have documented surface soil contamina tion with pesticides at 26 residences in the 18 th Street neighborhood at levels above long-term health-risk benchmarks. In addition, there is signi ficant potential for ground water contaminant migration to the underlying Sparta and Wilcox aqui fers, which is the drinking water supply source for private wells in the vicinity and for the City of Clarksdale. Possible impacts to the Sunflower River vi a site drainage ditches have never been fully evaluated.

3 Response Activities (to date):

EPA entered into an Administrative Order on Consent with the Responsible Parties at the site to conduct a removal action.

The hazardous substances in surface soil included arsenic and 13 chlorinated pesticides; and in subsurface soil arsenic, toxaphene, and dieldrin. More than 7,400 tons of contaminated soils were taken off site to commercial hazardous waste treatment and/or disposal facilities as part of the Rem oval Action. Tank sludges from eight above-ground storage tanks were also removed. They totaled 233,000 pounds.

} Need for NPL Listing:
The State of Mississippi referred the site to EPA because of the soil contamination in th e residential neighborhood and the potential for migration of ground water contamination. In a ddition, a full investigation of possible contamination in

Sunflower Creek needs to be conducted. Other federal and st ate cleanup programs were evalua ted, but are not viable at this time. EPA received a letter of support for placing this site on the NPL from the state.