Cleanup to Begin at Louisiana Metals Superfund Site

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality will soon begin cleanup at the Delatte Metals Superfund site. The cleanup will remove contaminated soils and address other issues at the site such as contaminated runoff.

"Superfund is hard at work cleaning up sites like Delatte that threaten human health and the environment.  We look forward to returning this site to productive use," said Myron Knudson, EPA Superfund division director.

Keith Casanova, DEQ administrator for Remediation Services said, "Eliminating environmental threats is one of DEQ's top priorities.  After extensive years of work, we are happy to finally be cooperating with EPA in the remediation of Delatte Metals to ensure a healthy future for this area of our state." 

Onsite preparations for the cleanup work will begin this month, with completion expected by next summer.  Work will include immobilizing the wastes in the soil so it can be removed and disposed off-site. 

Also, permeable treatment walls will be installed to neutralize the acidity of the shallow ground water and limit the migration of dissolved metals. Groundwater monitors will be installed to ensure the remedy is effective.

Beginning in the 1960's, battery recycling and smelting operations at Delatte contaminated soils with lead and other metals. By the early 1980's, spent acid from batteries was stored onsite in an unlined pond. Later, the acid was pumped to an acid tank farm, then shipped off-site for recycling.

In 1998, EPA determined there was an imminent and substantial endangerment to human health and the environment at the site.  EPA removed above-ground waste such as piles of slag, battery chips, the acid tank farm, furnace building, drums of metal-contaminated waste and tote bags of baghouse dust.