EPA could take over cleanup efforts at San Jacinto River superfund site after years of delays

CHANNELVIEW, Texas (KTRK) -- Neighbors living near the San Jacinto River superfund site may finally see some progress on clean-up efforts after years of waiting. The EPA could soon take over if the two companies responsible for clearing the waste pits on the north side of I-10 don't submit an approved plan in the next week.

Carolyn Stone didn't know how toxic the area was until just a few years ago. She's lived in Channelview for decades and said her family members often spent time in the water.

"It's concerning when you find out that you were immersing yourself in a chemical bath," Stone said. "It's not uncommon in Channelview and the Highlands for people to have respiratory issues, cancer, or other acute diseases."

The river's waste pits were built back in the 1960s as a place to dump hazardous materials from a nearby paper mill. Experts said the waste eventually migrated into the surrounding land and water, exposing residents to dangerous levels of dioxin and furan. State officials also found elevated rates of cancer during a 2015 assessment.

Greg Moss, who only lives a few blocks from the northern pit, said it's been devastating watching how the pollution has impacted his community.

"You see kids that you've known since they were really young. Then they're in their 20s, get cancer, and die. That's not something that normally happens," Moss said. "And when you see three out of five people in a family die from cancer, there's something wrong."

According to the Houston Chronicle, International Paper Company inherited responsibility for the pit south of I-10 in 2000. It shares responsibility for the northern pit with McGinnis Industrial Maintenance Corp.

SEE ALSO: EPA approves $115 million plan to clean Superfund site

Both companies kept requesting delays in submitting their plan of action for the northern pit to the EPA for two years.

"Everyone calls them the 'responsible' parties. I like to call them the 'irresponsible' parties. For them to continuously stall and refuse to clean up, they are endangering us," Stone said.

Once the plan was finally submitted, the EPA said it found serious deficiencies in what it calls the "San Jacinto River Waste Pits Pre-Final 90% Remedial Design for the Northern Impoundment" and gave the companies until Jan. 25 to get it up to par.

"Many residents fear a barge striking the waste pits, which actually occurred during Tropical Storm Imelda. If this were to occur during the construction phase, it could be catastrophic. However, in the design, the parties didn't include any plans for mitigation to prevent a vessel from reaching the site," Jackie Medcalf with the Texas Health and Environment Alliance said.

"Another example is that the design only plans to excavate the waste during non-hurricane seasons, which stretches the remediation as outlined by the EPA from two years to five. It ignores the fact that the parties have previously conducted work successfully and safely during hurricane season," Medcalf added.

If the plan doesn't get approved by the deadline, the EPA could take over the clean-up efforts and bill the companies for the cost.

In a statement to ABC13, a spokesperson for McGinnes Industrial Maintenance Corp. wrote:

"The two respondent companies for the San Jacinto Waste Pits Superfund Site - International Paper and McGinnes Industrial Maintenance Corp. (MIMC) - have informed EPA that while they believe some aspects of the characterizations made in Region 6's recent notice to the companies are not accurate, they are committed to working cooperatively with the Agency to achieve progress at the site."

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