BOSSIER CITY, La. — Contractors overseeing the cleanup of the former Kerr-McGee wood-treating facility say newly expanded soil sampling uncovered additional pockets of creosote contamination --including a ditch no one realized was polluted.

Creosote is sticky, sinks into soil, and can spread through stormwater and unlined drainage ditches, making it extremely difficult to remove once released.

Residents in Bossier had no idea until they described decades of flooding that washed runoff into nearby streets and yards.

“We sampled 102 locations and 26 exceeded LDEQ’s health-based levels,” said Program director Tasha Lewis with the Multi-State Environmental Response Trust.

In response, crews excavated and hauled away 27,000 tons of contaminated soil -- roughly 1,200 truckloads -- then enclo

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