Agriculture Street Landfill

Overview

Agriculture Street Landfill is a 95-acre former municipal landfill in New Orleans, Louisiana. Starting in the 1970s, the city developed it with residential housing, public facilities, and businesses. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in December 1994 after an assessment found contamination in the soil beneath homes and community spaces.

Four contaminants have been identified in subsurface soils: arsenic, dioxin, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Lead is present in both surface and subsurface soils. Groundwater contamination has also been stabilized, with no unacceptable discharge to surface water detected.

EPA divided the site into six operable units and began removal actions in 1994. Workers excavated and replaced contaminated soil at residential properties and the community center, removing over 69,000 tons of soil and debris. A protective cap was installed over the 48-acre undeveloped portion of the site. By 2000 and 2002, EPA selected No Further Action for all units, determining that cleanup had eliminated unacceptable risks. Physical construction was completed on April 2, 2002. In 2024 and 2025, the City of New Orleans completed a voluntary buyout of nine residential properties that had previously declined EPA cleanup, demolished the structures, and finished the approved removal action. The city now plans to build a solar development at the site.

The 2025 Five-Year Review Report confirmed the site is protective of human health and the environment, with no unacceptable risk remaining. Human exposure is under control, and contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized. Institutional controls remain in place, including zoning restrictions against residential use and a city ordinance requiring all on-site excavation to follow EPA protocols. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality conducts bi-annual inspections to confirm the protective cap stays intact. EPA will conduct the next five-year review in 2030.

Community members can review the Five-Year Review Report in the Site Documents and Data section online or in person at the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality Public Records office at 602 North Fifth Street, Room 127, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802. For questions, residents can contact the Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager. Media inquiries go to the EPA Press Office at (214) 665-2200.