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Texas sites being proposed to EPA cleanup priorities list

Release Date: 09/19/2007
Contact Information: Dave Bary or Tressa Tillman at 214-665-2200 or r6press@epa.gov

Properties in Donna, Odessa and Harris County may be added to federal Superfund program

(Dallas, Texas – September 19, 2007) Three sites in Texas are being proposed to the National Priorities List (NPL) for cleanup of contaminated sites, the Environmental Protection Agency and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) announced today.

Donna Reservoir and Canal System in Donna, Midessa Ground Water Plume in Odessa, and the San Jacinto River Waste Pits in Harris County are being considered for placement in the federal cleanup program, also known as Superfund. The Superfund program investigates and cleans up the most complex contaminated waste sites in the country.

“Adding these sites to the NPL makes federal assets available to help protect the drinking water and aquatic resources for thousands of Texans,” EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene said.

"The EPA and TCEQ work together on this important program so that these contaminated sites can be remediated as quickly as possible," said TCEQ Chairman Buddy Garcia.

The Donna Reservoir and Canal System site is being proposed to the NPL because of adverse levels of polychlorinated biphenyl in water and fish. At the Midessa Ground Water Plume site, trichloroethene and other chlorinated solvents were found in concentrations above safe drinking water maximum contamination levels. The San Jacinto River Waste Pits site is being proposed because of elevated levels of dioxins found in sediment, water, fish and crabs.

Nine other sites across the nation are being considered for the priorities list in addition to the Texas sites. The EPA Superfund program works closely with State agencies to clean and restore uncontrolled contaminated properties. To date, there have been 1,569 sites listed to the NPL. Of these sites, 320 sites have been removed resulting in 1,249 sites currently on the NPL.

More information on the Superfund National Priorities List is available at https://www.epa.gov/ superfund/sites/npl/index.htm.

To learn more about activities in EPA Region 6, visit https://www.epa.gov/region6.