Last week, driving into Houston, a member of the coalition saw something unusual going on at the San Jacinto Waste Pits. The pits are situated on the north side of I-10, one of the pits being mostly submerged and other mostly visible.
On top of the temporary stone and rubble cap was a steam shovel. The cap was placed there by the EPA following a memorandum on April 2, 2010. The Time Critical Removal Action (TCRA) was designed to stabilize the waste pits and to prevent direct human and benthic contact with the waste materials until a final solution can be agreed upon.>
At the time it was feared that some third party was inadvertently working on top of the cap and the hazardous waste below. Texans Together made several phone calls, both directly to the EPA and to the HGAC (Houston Galveston Area Council) to try and discover what the situation was.
After multiple calls Texans Together got an answer from the EPA. Gary Miller, the EPA site coordinator, finally called and relieved the worried minds of the coalition. A recent storm had caused erosion to the cap and repair was needed. The cap is being repaired by adding larger stones and the slope of the edge is being gentled to provide less resistance to waves.
We talked to Gary MIller about informing residents of work on the pit just so that they can feel at ease. He agreed and released this site update memo. We would like to thank Gary MIller and the EPA for working with us on this important issue.
Click Here to download the EPA Site Bulletin – 8/8/12.
Leave A Comment