At Thursday night’s highly anticipated U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency’s community meeting about the San Jacinto River Waste Pits,
elected officials from across the Houston area thanked and supported the
EPA’s decision to remove toxic wastes from the site.
Baytown City Manager Rick Davis, Congressman Gene
Green, Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan and representatives with
Harris County Commissioner Jack Morman’s office all made comments in
favor of removal.
“On behalf of our mayor and city council, I would
like to express support for the complete remediation of the waste
pits,” said Davis. “We view anything short of this is a deferment of
this responsibility to a future generation, and not terribly
responsible. Therefore, we will continue to support full remediation and
in fact on Oct. 27, the council and mayor will take up yet another
resolution in support of the EPA decision.”
In late September, the EPA proposed an $87
million cleanup to remove an estimated 152,000 cubic yards of
contaminated material located north of Interstate 10, within the San
Jacinto River between Channelview and Highlands. EPA’s preferred remedy
also proposes a $9.9 million cleanup to remove and additional 50,000
cubic yards of waste materials located south of I-10 for offsite
disposal.
“Federal law encourages the EPA to do the best
they can for a permanent fix, so we don’t have to continue worrying
about another barge getting loose and releasing dioxin into the water,”
said Green at the meeting. “So that’s why I’m hear tonight, having
worked on this for years, to see the goal of this Superfund site get
cleaned up.”
Harris County Attorney Ryan, who for years has
been involved in a civil suit with the responsible parties, also thanked
the EPA for their proposed cleanup solution for future generations to
come.
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