Ruston Foundry

Overview

A foundry ran on this 6-acre property in Alexandria, Louisiana from 1908 to 1985. Metal manufacturing, machine shop work, and other foundry activities left soil contaminated with lead and antimony. EPA placed the site on its National Priorities List (NPL) in May 1999, making it eligible for federal Superfund cleanup funding.

The two contaminants of concern are lead and antimony, both found in soil at the source area. These posed health risks mainly through ingestion and direct skin contact. The site is not classified as a groundwater site, so contaminated groundwater was not a driver of the cleanup.

Cleanup began quickly after listing. A removal action from June to August 1999 cleared solid waste, drums of liquid waste, and scrap metal from the property. A longer-term remedy was selected on June 24, 2002. It included stabilization of hazardous waste, consolidation and off-site disposal of asbestos-containing material, excavation and disposal of contaminated soils, underground storage tank work, debris clearing, and air and groundwater monitoring. The remedy was adjusted three times through documents called Explanations of Significant Differences, issued in 2004, 2008, and 2009. These adjustments shifted the focus toward solidification and stabilization, then toward excavation and off-site disposal, and added institutional controls that restrict future use of the property to industrial purposes. Remedial construction ran from February 2008 through September 2009.

Human exposure is now under control. EPA determined that no unacceptable exposure pathways remain across the site. All cleanup goals for current and reasonably anticipated future land uses have been met, and required land-use controls are in place. The site was deleted from the NPL on July 13, 2010, after a public comment period from May to June 2010 received no adverse comments. More than 9,000 residents live within one mile of the site, and an elementary school sits about half a mile to the north.

Community members with questions can contact the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager. For state-related questions, contact the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ). Site records are also available at the Rapides Parish Main Library at 411 Washington Street in Alexandria.