UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

REGION6 


1445 ROSS AVENUE, SUITE 1200 


DALLAS TX 75202-2733 


Mr. Ryan Benefield, Deputy Director 

Arkansas Department ofEnvironmental Quality 

5301 Northshore Drive 

North Little Rock, AR 72118-53 17 

Dear. Mr. Benefield, 

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering proposing the MacMillan 

Ring Free Oil site in Norphlet Arkansas on the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL), pursuant to its 

authority under Section 105 ofthe Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and 

Liability Act (CERCLA), as amended, 42 U.S.C. Section 9605. The NPL contains a list ofpriority sites 

with releases of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants that require evaluation for possible 

remediation. In November 2011 , the Arkansas Department ofEnvironmental Quality (ADEQ) asked the 

EPA for assistance in evaluating this site for NPL consideration. The EPA has been working 

cooperatively with your staff throughout the site assessment process and greatly appreciates the ADEQ's 

assistance in evaluating this site. It is the EPA's policy to determine the state's position on sites that the 

EPA is considering placing on the NPL. With this letter, the EPA is seeking the concurrence of the State 

of Arkansas on adding the MacMillan Ring Free site to the NPL. 

MacMillan Ring Free Oil is an abandoned industrial property located in Norphlet, Union County, 

Arkansas. The facility is bordered by a residential subdivision and the Norphlet Public School on the 

west, Hayes Creek on the north and east, and Massey Creek and bottom lands associated with the creek 

to the southwest. MacMillan Ring-Free Oil Refinery closed in 1987. The facility was inactive from 1987 

until 1989, when the property was sold to Nor-Ark Industrial Corp (Nor-Ark) who used the on-site 

storage tanks for asphalt products until March of 1991, when the company filed for bankruptcy. The 

facility was refurbished by Norphlet Chemical as a chemical manufacturing plant in early 2004 to 

produce tetrafluoroethane (Freon 134A) refrigerant used in automobiles. The plant never operated as 

intended and failed to produce the product. In 2007 the facility was abandoned and has remained vacant. 

The site area is approximately 100 acres. 

The EPA removal actions occurred at both the McMillan Ring Free Oil Refinery and Norphlet 

Chemical. Total EPA removal costs to date are in excess of 8 million dollars. Following the removal 

action at Norphlet, the Site was placed on the State Priority List under the Arkansas Pollution Control 

and Ecology Commission's Regulation No. 30. The Site was listed due to the potential for soil, surface 

water, and/or ground water contamination on- and off-site and the need to remediate the Site to 

protective levels. The Arkansas Department ofEnvironmental Quality (ADEQ) conducted a 

Comprehensive Site Assessment which developed remedial alternatives ranging from 4 to 15 million 

dollars. Due to the large cost ofthe projected action, ADEQ referred the site to the EPA for NPL 

Internet Address (URL) • http://www.epa.gov/region6 


Recycled/Recyclable • Printed with Vegetable 011 Based Inks on 100% Recycled Paper. Process Chlorine Free 

consideration. Sampling results by the EPA in 2012 indicate contamination of the surface and 

subsurface soil, ground water, and surface water/sediment. Contaminants of concern included polycyclic 

aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), TPH, and metals. 

The EPA is committed to working cooperatively with the State and local community throughout the 

listing and subsequent Superfund cleanup process, and to ensuring that the EPA's actions are conducted 

in an open and transparent manner. For a fund-financed remedial action prior to initiation of the 

remedial action, the EPA and the State will collaborate in the development of a superfund state contract 

to provide the State assurances required by CERCLA, including, for example, the State's statutory cost 

share for the remedial action and assumption ofoperation and maintenance responsibilities. 

The EPA is requesting a written response to this letter from your Governor's office or from the State 

Environmental Agency by August 1, 2013. The EPA has set this date to allow adequate time to meet the 

proposed rule schedule. The response letter should indicate whether the State supports placement of the 

site on the NPL. If the State does not support listing, the State should describe the alternative approach 

to placement on the NPL that will ensure the identified priority site and associated release(s) will be 

addressed. The EPA will be sharing information with the community regarding the State's position, 

including posting the information on the internet. The EPA will also invite the ADEQ to participate in 

any community meetings during the listing process. 

We will continue to work closely with and seek input from the State as the listing process proceeds. 

We appreciate your consideration of this matter. If additional information is needed or you would like 

to meet to discuss this matter further, please contact me at (214) 665-670 I, or have your staff call 

Brenda Nixon Cook, Region 6 NPL Coordinator, at (214) 665-7436. 

Si ~e rely , . . 0 · . -r·­

:1?/vC l1 ; ~udietJ Carl Edlund, PIE. 0 

Director 

Superfund Division 

CC: 	 Ms. Teresa Marks, ADEQ 

Ms. Tammie Hynum, ADEQ 

Ms. Terry Jeng, EPA-OSRTI