The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has just released its “Proposed Plan” (PP) to clean-up the San Jacinto Waste Pits Site (SJWPS).  The SJWPS was used in the 1960's to dispose of paper mill waste that contain long-lived, very toxic, dioxin, furan, and other chemicals.  The SJWPS has eroded and subsided into the San Jacinto River at Interstate 10 East (near Highlands and Baytown).  Galveston Bay, human health, and water quality has been contaminated with these highly toxic chemicals and fish advisories have been posted which warn people to limit how much fish and other seafood they eat due to this contamination.

EPA has a “Proposed Plan” (PP) that will remove most of the toxic waste permanently from the San Jacinto River and protect the Galveston Bay Ecosystem, human health, water quality, and recreational and tourist amenities.  Speak out in favor of the Proposed Plan (PP) so that once and for all this 50 year toxic legacy ends.

Tell the EPA you want to “Take the Waste Away and Protect Galveston Bay.” 

You can send your comments to the EPA by January 12, 2017:

1) By writing:  Remedial Project Manager, U.S. EPA Region 6, 1445 Ross Avenue (6SF-RA), Dallas, Texas 75202

2) By email:  R6_San_Jacinto_Waste_Pits_Comments@epa.gov

3) Online:  www.epa.gov/tx/forms/sjrwp-comments

Tell EPA that

(1) YOU support its Proposed Plan (PP) which selects Alternatives 6N (northern waste pit) and 4S (southern waste pit) to remove these toxic wastes forever and

(2) YOU support a Proposed Plan (PP) that uses the recreational fisher dioxin sediment limit (30 ng/kg) as the risk-based remediation goal to remove contaminated material.

Thanks for your help.  For more information contact Brandt Mannchen, Conservation Committee, Houston Regional Group of the Sierra Club, at 713-664-5962 or brandtshnfbt@juno.com.