STATE OF ARKANSAS 

M IKE BEEBE 

G OVERNOR 

January 4, 2012 

Dr. AI Am1endariz, Regional Administrator 

United States EPA Region VI 

1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 1200 

Dallas, TX 75202-2733 

Re: 	 State ofArkansas's designation of the former Cedar Chemical site as its 

highest priority under 40 CFR 300.425(c)(2) 

Dear Dr. Armendariz: 

The State of Arkansas designates the former Cedar Chemical Corporation facility 

as its highest priority for remediation to mitigate contamination on- and off-site to protect 

human health and the environment. As the highest priority of the State of Arkansas, 

pursuant to 40 C.F.R. § 300.425(c)(2), the State of Arkansas requests that the former 

Cedar Chemical Corporation facility be added to the National Priority List. 

The former Cedar Chemical Corporation facility is an abandoned chemical 

manufacturing facility, located at 49 Phillips Road 311 in Helena-West Helena, Phillips 

County, Arkansas. The site consists of approximately 48 acres located on Highway 242, 

one mile southwest ofthe intersection of U.S. Highway 49 and Highway 242. The facility 

is made up of six production units and support facilities, an office building, and a 

biological treatment system. Active processes were conducted on approximately 20 acres 

of the site. The remainder of the site contains biological treatment ponds and closed 

surface impoundments. 

The owners and operators of the Cedar Chemical Corporation facility cleaned 

some production units prior to abandoning the site. The EPA Region 6 Emergency 

Response staff conducted a removal action involving some tanks and piping associated 

with the production area of the site. The EPA's emergency response listed 33 hazardous 

substances, including flammables, reactives, and corrosives. The completeness of tank 

cleanings and residual elements is unknown. Surface soils, subsurface soils, surface water 

bodies, and groundwater all tested positive for one or all of the following: pesticides, 

volatile organics, and heavy metals. Eighty solid-waste-management units have been 

identified on-site, to date, and are deemed areas of concern. 

STTEC..r·m:>L Sl.11I ~5(1 • UT:'..E R:X ..-\R-:-:2:20 1 

Till:~ ·!(•·,, _ ' 5f" if:,'-:2-::!'3-iS • F..\ t5U !1 rJ8:2-I 'J,S:2 

1-..:,"[,;·:rl \ \ EJ, -:. r~ E • 1\\1\1:-;t:r c: 1<. 11:~ukms t~ · 
Three Potential Responsible Parties funded investigative work and have secured 

the site. Those parties have chosen not to submit any additional monies to conduct further 

investigative work or implement remedial actions. The available state funds are not 

sufficient to conduct the necessary investigative work and remedial actions to clean the 

former Cedar Chemical Corporation facility. 

The State of Arkansas respectfully requests that the former Cedar Chemical 

Corporation facility be placed on the National Priority List as the State of Arkansas's 

highest priority for the reasons stated herein. The Arkansas Department of Environmental 

Quality is available to answer your questions or provide any additional information you 

may require. Please feel free to contact Benjamin T. Jones, attorney, at (501) 682-0889. 

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. 

Mike Beebe 

MB:jb