f/EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Camp Minden Site Removal Action This Fact Sheet will tell you about... • Future Actions • Current Actions • Past Actions • Site Background • For More Information • Contacts Camp Minden - Explo Systems, Inc. Removal Action Webster Parish, Louisiana February 2015 Additional meetings and conference calls are scheduled over the upcoming weeks. All are open to the public and information is available at www.epa.gov/region6/camp-minden . Future Actions The safety of the public is our most important consideration. On January 28, 2015, EPA announced the creation of a Dialogue Committee made up of a group of individual volunteer citizens, community leaders, local and statewide organizations, scientists, elected officials and state representatives that are coming together to look at alternatives to address materials at Camp Minden. The Dialogue Committee has been asked to review alternatives as expeditiously as possible. The nine criteria from the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan adapted for the Camp Minden will be used to evaluate alternatives. Participants of the group, along with the public, will have the opportunity to provide individual input to the state and EPA. The Dialogue Committee held its first meeting on February 5, 2015, at the Community Hall in Minden. The meeting was open to the public. We look forward to finding ways to increase the involvement of local officials and the community in the remedy as we move forward in addressing the dangerous situation facing us at Camp Minden. Current Actions The Army Explosive Safety Board experts found materials at Camp Minden to be in a deteriorated state and warned of potential self- ignition risk as soon as August 2015. The EPA, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and Louisiana Army National Guard are the response authorities managing the destruction of over 15 million pounds of deteriorating M6 propellant and nearly 3 million pounds of other materials stored at Camp Minden. On October 28, 2014, a CERCLA settlement agreement negotiated by Department of Justice was signed by EPA, LDEQ, Louisiana National Guard and Department of Army. The agreement was effective on November 4, 2014.On January 15, 2015, EPA extended the state's deadline under this agreement by 90 days to allow review of alternatives. The Louisiana Army National Guard issued a request for proposals for companies to bid on destroying materials at Camp Minden in December 2014. The state's bids closed on January 21, 2015. On February 10, Louisiana National Guard notified EPA of their plans to use the Emergency Response Procedures set forth in Governor Jindal's Executive Order (BJ ------- 2013-14) to request additional information for alternative technologies from vendors by February 24, 2015. Past Actions In August, 2013 Explo Systems, Inc. filed for bankruptcy and abandoned materials at Camp Minden. In September 2013 the Louisiana National Guard took ownership of the abandoned materials. Under federal law, EPA requires polluters to pay for their actions. EPA ordered three companies, referred to as 'responsible parties', to remove nearly 3 million pounds of materials from Camp Minden. These orders were issued to General Dynamics, Alliant Techsystems, and Hercules, Inc. The work is nearly complete. Copies of these orders are publicly available. In late October 2014, the U.S. Army, Louisiana Army National Guard, Louisiana Department of Environment Quality and EPA signed a Settlement Agreement for the destruction of more than 15 million pounds of M6 propellant and 320,000 pounds of clean burning igniters (CBI). The Army Explosive Safety Board made several trips to see first-hand the conditions at Camp Minden and recommended destroying the materials. The agreement and state's contract requires the contractor to meet state and federal environmental requirements to protect public health. The award requires the contractor to conduct extensive monitoring before, during and after their work. EPA and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality will conduct independent monitoring during the destruction of materials at Camp Minden. Monitoring information will be publicly available. Site Background On October 15, 2012, an uncontrolled explosion at Camp Minden shattered windows four miles away in the City of Minden and generated a 7,000-foot mushroom cloud. The Louisiana State Police investigated the explosion and discovered millions of pounds of chemicals and explosives improperly stored and exposed to the weather at Camp Minden. Louisiana State Police directed Explo Systems, Inc. to secure these materials and immediately protect them from the weather to prevent further deterioration. This work was completed before Explo Systems, Inc. filed for bankruptcy. Today, there are approximately 15 million pounds of deteriorated M6 propellant, 320,000 pounds of CBI, and other materials stored in 97 storage bunkers were abandoned at Camp Minden. Camp Minden is almost 15,000 acres in size and located in Webster Parish, Louisiana. The facility was formerly known as the Louisiana Military Ammunition Plant which is a National Priorities List Superfund site primarily because of problems caused by groundwater contamination. For More Information If you would like more information about Camp Minden, visit our website at www.epa.gov/region6/camp-minden. You can also review copies of information at: Webster Parish Library, 521 East and West Street, Minden, La. 71055, (318) 371-3080 Doyline Branch Library, 333 Main Street, P.O. Box 8, Doyline, La. 71023, (318) 745-3800 Contacts Citizens can call 800.887.6063 during normal business hours (9 am - 4 pm weekdays) and by email at our dedicated mailbox r6_camp_minden@epa.gov. All inquiries from the news media should be directed to the EPA Region 6 Press Office at 214.665.2200 or by email at R6Dress0OeDa.gov. ------- © CDA United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 1445 Ross Ave. (6SF-V0) Dallas, TX 75202 ------- |