For years, Galveston Bay Foundation (GBF) has been advocating for complete removal of toxic waste from the San Jacinto River Waste Pits Superfund Site at I-10 in Channelview. On October 11th, the EPA decided to require removal of the dioxin-laden wastes. It ends a lengthy period of debate on the future of the waste and the site and will result in final remediation and cleanup for the site.
“This was a victory,” said Scott Jones, GBF Director of Advocacy. “Removal was the only option.”
The waste was first pumped into pits along the San Jacinto River in the mid-1960s. The site has contained a temporary cap for the last several years. Because the site is located in a high energy zone subject to flooding and storm surge, the cap had repeated maintenance issues and exposed more waste to the San Jacinto River.
Now that EPA has announced this final decision, known as the record of decision, it is imperative that they ensure the cleanup and removal begin as soon as possible. We encourage EPA to come to final agreement with the responsible parties, McGinnis Industrial Waste Maintenance Corporation (a subsidiary of Waste Management) and International Paper, as quickly as possible. If they cannot move this agreement forward quickly, EPA should begin the cleanup process on its own and seek restitution for cleanup costs from the responsible parties.
Visit www.galvbay.org/watermonitor for a map of all locations that have been tested.
Galveston Bay Foundation applauds EPA decision to require removal of toxic wastes from San Jacinto River, calls for a quick removal.
