D.L. Mud, Inc. is a former drilling mud facility covering 12.8 acres about 2.5 miles southwest of Abbeville, Louisiana. The facility operated until 1986, using tanks and surface impoundments to store and mix materials. About 2,600 people live within 3 miles of the site. EPA added it to the National Priorities List (NPL), the federal list of priority Superfund sites, in October 1989.
Fourteen contaminants have been identified at the site. They include metals such as arsenic, barium, chromium, lead, nickel, selenium, and zinc. Organic chemicals found there include bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, dichloromethane, naphthalene, and phenol. These substances were detected in soil, groundwater, or both. The primary health risk comes from people ingesting contaminated soil.
Cleanup began in the early 1980s with removal of contaminated drums, tank contents, and soil. Between 1998 and 1999, workers excavated visually contaminated subsurface soil and disposed of it off-site. Institutional controls, which are legal measures limiting land use, and groundwater monitoring were also put in place. EPA deleted the site from the NPL in March 2000. Operation and maintenance activities began in January 1999 and are estimated to continue through at least mid-2028.
The most recent Five-Year Review, completed in July 2023, found the site protective of human health and the environment in the short term. Human exposure is currently under control, and contaminated groundwater has been stabilized in its original area. However, EPA still needs to evaluate whether arsenic, chromium, and manganese detected at the site come from site activities or natural background levels. EPA also needs to confirm whether two former domestic water wells have been properly abandoned. If not, those wells must be closed and reported to the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. The site achieved "sitewide ready for anticipated reuse" status in September 2007. The next five-year review is estimated for July through September 2028.
Community members can read the full 2023 Five-Year Review Report at https://semspub.epa.gov/work/06/100029230.pdf or review it at the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. Questions can be directed to EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager.
