Petro-Processors of Louisiana, Inc.

Overview

The Petro-Processors of Louisiana, Inc. site covers 77 acres in Scotlandville, East Baton Rouge Parish. During the 1960s and 1970s, it was used to dispose of petrochemical wastes. That left soil, surface water, groundwater, and air contaminated with hazardous chemicals. The site sits above the "400-foot sands," a major drinking water aquifer. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List on September 21, 1984.

Cleanup is organized into four operable units. Operable Unit 01 covers the Brooklawn area, which includes former lagoons, pits, and a portion of Bayou Baton Rouge. Operable Unit 03 covers the Scenic area, a former borrow pit with a disposal area and another portion of Bayou Baton Rouge. Operable Unit 02 addresses bayou and adjacent wetland areas. Operable Unit 00 handles sitewide concerns. Both main disposal areas have been backfilled, capped, graded, and seeded. Rerouting Bayou Baton Rouge and capping the sites reduced contaminant migration and cut air emissions. Remedial action at Brooklawn ran from June 1987 through July 2003. At the Scenic site, remedial action ran from January 2000 through November 2001.

Long-term work continues at both areas. At Brooklawn, the remedy uses engineered clay caps, monitored natural attenuation of groundwater, and administrative controls. Visual inspections and tree surveys happen every two years, most recently in January 2024. At the Scenic site, enhanced attenuation began in 2011 using molasses injection to boost biological activity in the groundwater. New monitoring wells are planned for late 2025 and early 2026 to track volatile organic compounds (VOCs) between two treatment zones. A new remedial investigation for the Scenic site began in June 2022 and is estimated to finish between May and July 2026.

EPA has conducted five-year reviews in 2005, 2010, 2016, and most recently on May 27, 2021. The next five-year review is due in May 2026. Human exposure status cannot yet be determined because uncertainty about exposures makes it impossible to confirm whether they are fully controlled. Groundwater migration is considered under control, with no unacceptable discharge to surface water confirmed. Physical construction of the cleanup is complete across the entire site, but the site has not yet met all criteria for sitewide readiness for anticipated reuse.

Community members can reach EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator, Jason McKinney, by email or phone with questions. The public information repository is kept at the Scotlandville Branch Library at 7373 Scenic Highway in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where documents including five-year reviews are available for review.