Federal authorities have mandated the finalization of the San Jacinto River Waste Pits remediation process.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced its decision to proceed with the clean-up of toxic material in the San Jacinto River. The responsible parties will construct a 'coffer dam' to remove the remaining Dioxin waste, a process that is expected to take at least five years.
The contaminated material in the San Jacinto River is associated with various types of cancer, reproductive issues, and auto-immune issues. This has been a concern for the local community for many years, with Sharon Wilson leading the campaign for the removal of the toxic waste site at the San Jacinto River Waste Pits area for the past ten years.
The clean-up process will involve draining the water off of the currently submerged portion of the dump before digging out the contamination. Jackie Medcalf, of the Texas Health and Environment Alliance, has estimated the timeline and cost of the clean-up. The cost is expected to be untold millions of dollars for the polluters.
The clean-up of the San Jacinto River Superfund site is significant for the health of the local community and the Galveston Bay system. A recent cancer assessment showed that 257 square miles of the San Jacinto River's flood plain around the Superfund site is a cancer cluster.
This news comes from the EPA, the Texas Health and Environment Alliance, and previous our website reporting. The community eagerly awaits the completion of the clean-up, hoping for a healthier and safer environment for generations to come.
