### UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTALPROTECTIONAGENCY 1445RossAvenue, Suite 1200 Dallas,TX 75202-2733



### OCT 2 ''( 

### Z01f

Ms. Peggy Hatch, Secretary Louisiana Dept ofEnvironmental Quality Office ofthe 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 onthe SuperfundNational 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 withreleases ofhazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants that require evaluation for possible remediation. Itis the EPA'spolicy to determine the State's position on sites thatthe EPA is considering placing on the NPL. With this letter, the EPA is seeking the concurrence ofthe State ofLouisiana on adding the Colonial Creosoting site to the NPL.

The Colonial Creosoting site is located in the southeast portion ofBogalusa, Washington Parish, Louisiana. The 32-acre property is bound onthe west and northwest by a railroad spur for the Illinois Central GulfRailroad and undeveloped land to the east and south. Colonial Creosoting constructed a wood treatment plant atthe location in 1911or1912. The plant was associated withthe 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 ofthe site releases will continue to impact ground water and downstream surface waters.The EPA is committedto working**coopera~ively** withthe State and local communitythroughout the listing and subsequent Superfund cleanup process, and to ensuring thatthe EPA's actions are conducted in an open and transparent manner. For a fund-financed remedial actionprior to initiation ofthe remedial action, the EPA and the State will collaborate inthe development ofa Superfund State Contractto 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 writtenresponse to this letter from your Governor's office or from the LDEQ by December 15, 2014. The EPAhas setthis date to allow adequate time to meet the proposed rule schedule. The response letter should indicate whether the State supports placement ofthe site onthe NPL. Ifthe State does not support listing, the State should describe the alternative approachto placement ontheNPLthat will ensure the identified priority site and associated release(s) will be addressed. The EPA will be sharing information withthe community regarding the State'sposition, including postingthe information on the internet. The EPAwill also invite the LDEQ to participate in any communitymeetings 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 ofthis matter. Ifadditional information is needed or you would like to meetto discuss this matter further, please contactme at (214) 665-6701, or have your staff, call BrendaNixon Cook, Region 6 NPL Coordinator, at (214) 665-7436.

Sincerely,

# ~~t Director Superfund Division

CC viaemail: Ms. Cheryl Nolan, LDEQ Mr. Gary A. Fulton, Jr, LDEQ Mr. John Halk, LDEQ Ms. Terry Jeng, EPA-OSRTI