UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 


1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 1200 


Dallas, TX 75202-2733 


OCT 2 ''( Z01f 

Ms. Peggy Hatch, Secretary 

Louisiana Dept of Environmental Quality 

Office of the Secretary, 

P.O. Box 4301 

Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4301 

Dear Secretary Hatch, 

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

Colonial Creosoting site in Bugalusa, Louisiana on the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL), 

pursuant to its authority under Section 105 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 

Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), as amended, 42 U.S.C. Section 9605. The NPL 

contains a list of priority sites with releases of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants 

that require evaluation for possible remediation. 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 Louisiana on adding the Colonial Creosoting site to the 

NPL. 

The Colonial Creosoting site is located in the southeast portion of Bogalusa, Washington Parish, 

Louisiana. The 32-acre property is bound on the west and northwest by a railroad spur for the 

Illinois Central Gulf Railroad and undeveloped land to the east and south. Colonial Creosoting 

constructed a wood treatment plant at the location in 1911or1912. The plant was associated 

with the Great Southern Timber Co. facility which was located to the west. Colonial Creosoting 

was owned by American Creosote ofLouisville, Kentucky. The facility was closed in 1953. In 

March of 1957, the property was sold to Lakeview Sand and Gravel Co. Inc. which later became 

Bogalusa Concrete and continued to operate at the site until 2008. The Louisiana Department of 

Environmental Quality (LDEQ) referred the site to the EPA for site assessment activities in 

2011; a Preliminary Assessment, Site Inspection and Expanded Site Inspection have been 

completed at this site. 

The site is scheduled to be proposed to the NPL in March 2015, based on evidence that 

hazardous substances including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from former wood 

treating operations have migrated from the facility to underlying groundwater, adjacent wetlands 

and nearby surface waters. There are documented fisheries located in downstream waters. 

Without remediation of the site releases will continue to impact ground water and downstream 

surface waters. 
The EPA is committed to working coopera~ively 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 of operation and 

maintenance responsibilities. 

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

LDEQ by December 15, 2014. 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 

ofthe site on the NPL. Ifthe 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 LDEQ to participate in any community meetings during the listing process. 

We will continue to work closely with a11d seek input from the State as the listing process 

proceeds. We appreciate your consideration of this matter. Ifadditional information is needed or 

you would like to meet to discuss this matter further, please contact me at (214) 665-6701, or 

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

Sincerely, 

~~t Director 

Superfund Division 

CC via email: 

Ms. Cheryl Nolan, LDEQ 

Mr. Gary A. Fulton, Jr, LDEQ 

Mr. John Halk, LDEQ 

Ms. Terry Jeng, EPA-OSRTI