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Mallard Bay Landing Site in Grand Cheniere, La., Added to Superfund Priorities List

Release Date: 7/27/2000
Contact Information: For more information contact the Office of External Affairs at (214) 665-2200.

     The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) added the Mallard Bay Landing Bulk Plant in Grand Cheniere, Cameron Parish, La., to the federal Superfund National Priorities List (NPL), EPA and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) announced today. Hazardous substances from this oil refinery have migrated and/or could migrate to nearby water bodies which provide recreational and commercial fishing and habitat for numerous waterbird nesting colonies and other wildlife.

     "Listing this site is an important first step in ensuring that public health and the environment will be protected. The EPA and the LDEQ are committed to work together to clean up this site quickly and efficiently," EPA Regional Administrator Gregg Cooke said.

     LDEQ Secretary J. Dale Givens said, "Since 1997, all proceeds of Louisiana's hazardous waste tax have been dedicated to cleaning up potentially dangerous sites. In remediating larger sites such as these, however, Louisiana and most other states depend on our partnership with EPA for additional funding. This federal-state partnership was made possible when Congress created the federal Superfund program in 1980."

     From 1980 to 1983, and again from 1985 until its ownership declared bankruptcy in 1987, Mallard Bay Landing Bulk Plant (formerly known as Talen's Landing Bulk Plant) refined crude oil to produce naphtha, diesel fuel, and No. 6 fuel oil. The 10-acre facility also allegedly accepted hazardous waste fuels for which it was not permitted, and allegedly received and attempted to process styrene, a compound commonly used to produce plastics.

     In 1999 EPA removed approximately 866,000 gallons of oil and waste material.  Approximately 152,000 gallons of tank waste remains on site. This waste contains elevated concentrations of styrene, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, 2-methylnaphthalene, naphthalene, arsenic, barium, chromium, copper, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, vanadium, and zinc.  Sediment samples collected from the wetlands adjacent to the tank waste area revealed elevated levels of most of these constituents.

     Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge is approximately 10 miles west of the facility. Grand Lake, located within the Refuge, is the primary commercial fishing grounds for both freshwater and marine species in Cameron Parish.  Grand Lake and Mermentau River are the principal remaining habitats for the Paddlefish, an endangered species in the state of Louisiana.

     The EPA Superfund program works closely with state agencies to clean and restore uncontrolled contaminated properties. Superfund cleans sites when the work required is beyond the resources of state and local agencies.

     Additional information about this site is available on the EPA web site at https://www.epa.gov/superfund/new/newnpl.htm.