HEPA EPA Plans Assessment Activities at the Environmental Protection Former Southern Mineralite Exfoliation Facility A0ency New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana June 2014 This Fact Sheet will tell you about... • Planned Activities • History • Next Steps • For More Information Planned Activities The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be con- ducting soil assessment activities at the former Southern Mineralite Exfoliation Facility, located at 2933 Dauphine Street in the By water Neighborhood of New Orleans, Lou- isiana. The Site was the location of a vermiculite pro- cessing facility. The vermiculite processed at this facility was contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos in outdoor soil or other source material is not inherently hazardous, unless the asbestos is released from the source material into air where it can be inhaled. As part of its assessment activities EPA will also look at nearby locations where asbestos may have migrated either through air deposition or through the use of waste process material as fill. The planned assessment will be taking place from mid- June through July. EPA plans to take soil samples and per- form Activity Based Sampling (ABS) which involves per- forming soil disturbing activities that mimic actual site use while sampling the air for the release of Libby Amphibole Asbestos. ABS is used to determine if any asbestos present poses a potential threat of exposure to the public. History The facility is a former vermiculite exfoliation facility that received raw vermiculite ore from the Zonolite Mine in Libby, Montana, that was contaminated with asbestos. The facility received vermiculite ore from the 1930s until 1964 when the operation relocated to River Road in Jefferson Parish. Vermiculite from Libby was distributed for pro- cessing to a number of facilities across the country. Next Steps This removal assessment addresses the need to identify and lessen the potential threats posed by Libby Amphibole Asbestos contaminated soils located on-site from the pro- cessing of vermiculite and distributed off-site by air depo- sition or through the use as fill. It is unclear if soil contamination currently creates a public health risk. If asbestos contamination is identified at levels that present a risk to public health, EPA is prepared to act to address the contamination. For more information, please contact... Althea Foster, On Scene Coordinator U.S. EPA, Region 6 Tel: 214-665-2268 Foster.althea@epa.gov Mike McAteer, On Scene Coordinator U.S. EPA, Region 6 Tel: 214-665-7157 McAteer.mike@epa.gov Bill Little, Involvement Coordinator/SEE U.S. EPA, Region 6 Tel: 214-665-8131or 1-800-533-3508 (toll-free) Little .bill@epa. gov Donn Walters, Regional Public Liaison U.S. EPA, Region 6 214-665-6483 or 1-800-553-3508 (toll-free) Walters.donn@epa.gov Inquiries from the news media should be directed to the External Affairs Office at 214.665.2200. Call U.S. EPA at 1- 800-533-3508 (toll free) to receive a Spanish translation of this fact sheet. Para recibir una traduccion en espanol de esta Hoja de Da- tos, comunicarse con la Agencia de Proteccion del Medio Ambiente de los EEUU (la EPA) al numero de telefono 1- 800-533-3508 (llamada gratis). ------- AEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 1445 Ross Ave, (6SF-V0) Dallas, TX 75202 ------- |