agriculture street landfill

ABUNDANCE STREET

The Agriculture Street Landfill Superfund Site is located in the eastern section of the city of New Or leans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana. The Agriculture Street Landfill Site was first authorized for use as a dump in 1909, when the City of New Orleans was engaged in an effort to phase out the dumping of municipal wastes and trash into various canals in the vicinity and into the Mississippi River. The landfill continued to be used until the city constructed its Florida Avenue and Seventh Street incinerators in 1957. The landfill was reopened in 1965 for approximately one year for a burning and disposal are a for debris created by Hurricane Betsy. Prior to 1994, access to OU1, the undeveloped portion of the former landfill, was unrestricted, allowing unauthorized waste disposal and exposure to contaminants of potential concern . EPA installed an eight - foot high, chain link fence topped with barbed wire around the entire undeveloped portion of the former landfill (OU1). EPA conducted a second time - critical removal action at the site in February 1995 removing playground equipment and covering contaminated soil at OU3 with heavy grass sod. In March 1996, EPA completed a third time critical removal action to repair the fence surrounding OU1 which had been damaged by trespassers. In September 1997, EPA issued an Action Memorandum authorizing a Non - Time Critical Removal Action for OU1, OU2 (Residential Properties) , and OU3 (Community Center) . The removal action on OU1, consisted of clearing the 48 - acre area, grading it to direct storm water runoff away from the residential area, laying a permeable geotextile mat followed with orange fencing, covering the mat/marker with twelve inches of clean fill, and re - establishing a vegetative layer on the clean fill. The removal action on OU2 and OU3 consisted generally of excavating 24 inches of soil, placing a permeable geotextile mat/marker on the subgrade, backfilling the excavated area with clean fill, covering the clean fill with grass sod, landscaping and yard restoration, driveway and sidewalk replacement, and final detailing. Currently, the site is partially redeveloped. Prior to Hurricane Rita and Katrina t he estimated population residing on the site was 1,137 persons. From the 1970s through the late 1980s, approximately 47 acres of the site were developed for private and public uses that supported 67 single - family homes, multiple - family dwellings ( 170 units are owned and operated by Housing Authority of New Orleans, 128 units are part of the Gordon Plaza Apartment complex ), retail businesses, an elementary school, a community center, a recreation center and an electrical substation. All that remain since the hurricanes are the single - family homes and the electrical substation. All other structures are destroyed and awaiting demolition or redevelopment. The population t hat remains in the community is several hundred. The re st of the site, approximately 48 acres, remain s undeveloped and vegetated . The primary contaminants of concern were lead, arsenic, and carcinogenic polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (cPAHs). A total of approximately 69,032 tons of material were excavated and disposed. Approximately 70,081 cubic yards of sand backfill, and 125,865 cubic yards of topsoil were used in backfill, capping, and restoration on the site. Also, 55,732 square yards of sod were installed. Fences, gates, asphalt and concrete roadways, driveways, and sidewalks removed or damaged during the removal action were replaced or repaired . The Record of Decision (ROD) for the Agriculture Street Landfill Superfund Site OU4 (Moton School) an d OU5 (Groundwater) was signed on September 2, 1997. The ROD for OU1, OU2, and OU3 was signed in April 2002. Because previous removal actions were found to have addressed unacceptable risks posed by site contaminants, EPA has determined that No Further Action was the selected remedy necessary to protect public health or welfare or the environment at OU1, OU2, and OU3. No further action was also selected for OU4 and OU5 due to a lack of exposure pathways. The Moton Elementary School (OU4) and Groundwater ( OU5) were deleted from the Site National Priorities List listing (NPL) June 15, 2000. The comment period for the Notice of Intent to Delete the site from the NPL concluded on October 25, 2004. Additional institutional controls in coordination with the City of New Orleans needs to be established before the deletion process can be completed. This final stage is projected to be resumed this year. On August 5, 2008 the court entered the consent decree with the City of New Orleans (CERCLA) matter (E.D. La. 02 - cv - 3618). The decree protects the remedy and thereby, the public health, welfare, and the environment at the site by implementing the work and institutional controls described in the decree.

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