Cleanup of toxic pits may begin next year

Work at San Jacinto site moving forward amid federal push

A plan is moving ahead for cleaning up the toxic waste buried on a peninsula in the San Jacinto River, marking a step forward in one of the most closely watched federal hazardous waste cleanup efforts in the region.

Decades ago, a paper mill dumped its waste along the river east of Houston. Then land sank and the path of the river moved. Some of the waste is now under water, on the north side of the Interstate 10 bridge. Another portion is south of the bridge and still buried on dry land.

The material under water is of particular concern because of the potential threats it poses. The waste contains dioxins, which can cause cancer, and furans. It’s covered by a temporary cap, but that cap could be damaged and potentially release the toxic waste into the river.

That northern, underwater portion has proved a challenge for federal officials trying to assess and figure out how to clean it up safely. They’re still working on that. A plan for removing the waste to the south was more straightforward and finalized in April.

Earlier this month, federal environmental regulators issued a final order for the International Paper Co. to begin carrying out that plan, excavating up to 10 feet across from an area about 20 acres in size and replacing the soil, according to planning documents.

International Paper Co. was described in the order as the “successor” to Pasadena-based Champion Papers, which sent waste to be dumped there in 1965 and 1966. The

cost of the work was estimated to be nearly $10 million, with penalties of up to $59,017 a day for any violations of the order.

“International Paper is committed to protecting public health and the environment,” company spokesperson Amy Simpson wrote in an email. “We continue to work with the EPA and other stakeholders to perform the remediation of the southern impoundment at the San Jacinto River Waste Pits, as described in the administrative order.”

Construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2022 at the earliest, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s website. That’s because of time needed to develop a work plan, hire contractors and avoid digging it out during hurricane season.

Jackie Medcalf, founder of the Texas Health and Environment Alliance, which has long served as a community advocate pushing for proper cleanup of the site, wrote in an email to the Chronicle that they were glad to see the work moving forward.

Still, she wrote, they will continue to watch carefully for the EPA to “hold polluters accountable.”