Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant

Overview

The Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant, also known as Camp Minden, sits on nearly 15,000 acres near Doyline, Louisiana. The Army loaded, assembled, and packed ammunition there from 1942 to 1994. Untreated wastewater from explosives operations was discharged into on-site lagoons, contaminating soil, sediment, and groundwater across the installation. The site is listed on the National Priorities List and is a federal facility, meaning the Army bears primary responsibility for cleanup while EPA Region 6 and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality provide oversight.

Contaminants include explosive-related compounds such as HMX, RDX, trinitrotoluene, and dinitrotoluene in both soil and groundwater. The Y-Line Chromium Etch Facility added metals including chromium, lead, arsenic, and nickel to soil. Installation-wide groundwater also contains volatile organic compounds like benzene, trichloroethene, and tetrachloroethene, along with arsenic, pesticides such as dieldrin, and dinitrotoluene breakdown products.

Early cleanup work ran from 1987 to 1990 and included draining and treating lagoon wastewater, excavating and incinerating contaminated soil, and capping the treated area. The site is divided into eight operable units covering specific geographic areas and contamination problems. Most units have records of decision issued between 1989 and 2020. Selected remedies rely on monitored natural attenuation, long-term groundwater monitoring, and institutional controls such as deed restrictions that ban residential use, prohibit digging in certain areas, and block installation of shallow drinking water wells. Physical construction of the cleanup is complete across the entire site. However, EPA determined in July 2024 that a final protectiveness finding cannot be made until further information is obtained.

A groundwater contamination report prepared at the request of the Camp Minden Community Advisory Group documents all groundwater chemicals of concern, shows maximum detected concentrations by area, and notes contamination found beyond Camp Minden's perimeter. The Army, with EPA and state oversight, is conducting the seventh Five-Year Review, with the report expected by summer 2026. Private well owners near the site are encouraged to test their water, since the state health department only tests public water systems. Resources are available through the Louisiana Private Well Owner Network and the Private Water Well Testing Initiative by calling 1-888-293-7020 or emailing PWI@LA.GOV. Site documents can also be reviewed at the Webster Parish Library in Minden and the Doyline Parish Library in Doyline.