San Jacinto River Waste Pits Superfund Site

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San Jacinto River Waste Pits Superfund Site. EPA ID# TXN000606611
Harris County, Texas, 77530

Site Location:
The site is located on the western bank of the San Jacinto River, immediately north of the Interstate Highway 10 bridge. The site occupies a 20 acre tract of land currently owned by Virgil C. McGinnes Trustee. The site is bounded on the south by Interstate Highway 10, on the east by the San Jacinto River main channel, and on the north and west by shallow water off the river's main channel. In addition, there are contaminated sediments of at least 0.5 miles in length within the San Jacinto River.

Health Considerations:
The primary hazardous substances that have been documented at the San Jacinto River Waste Pits site are polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans. Samples collected in the disposal pits and in the San Jacinto River have dioxin concentrations as high as 70,000 parts per trillion. Fish tissue samples have been collected by the Texas Department of Fish and Wildlife, and dioxin has been found in both fish and crab tissue samples above a health based benchmark. Sediment, water, and tissue samples collected in the vicinity of the impoundments show elevated levels
of dioxins. A consumption advisory based on dioxin is in place on this segment of the watershed. The current advisory recommends that adults eat no more than one meal per month caught from the advisory area, and suggests that women of childbearing age and children not consume any blue crabs or fish from the advisory area. Despite the advisory, residents are continuing to consume fish and crabs within this segment of the river.

The Texas Department of Health has currently issued a consumption advisory for fish and blue crabs.

EPA Reference Links:
www.epa.gov/earth1r6/6sf/pdffiles/0606611.pdf
www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/nar1773.htm
www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/docrec/fdoc1773.pdf
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   29°47'40"N   95°3'43"W
This article was last modified 7 years ago