EPA to Host Community Meeting to Discuss San Jacinto Waste Pits Cleanup Plan

HOUSTON, TX – Congressman Gene Green will attend a public meeting hosted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Thursday, October 20. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss and receive comments from the community about the EPA’s proposed cleanup plan for San Jacinto River Waste Pits.

“My priorities are that this public health threat is dealt with properly and that the community is engaged throughout this process,” said Rep. Gene Green. “It is critically important that all stakeholders come together to understand and address this critical health hazard. This meeting continues a dialogue between the EPA and the community, so that we can all better understand the cleanup plan and the safeguards the agency plans to put in place to ensure the waste is being dealt with in the safest method possible.”

On September 28, EPA released for public comment its proposed plan to clean up waste materials. In addition to Thursday night’s meeting, the public has 60 days to submit written comments on the proposed plan (Monday, November 28). The 14-acre San Jacinto River Waste Pits site consists of several hazardous waste ponds, or impoundments, built in the mid-1960s for the disposal of paper mill wastes as well as other contaminated soils that had been disposed alongside the San Jacinto River.

All community members are encouraged to attend.

WHAT:        Public meeting to discuss the EPA’s proposed cleanup plan of the San Jacinto Waste Pits.

WHEN:        Thursday, October 20, 2016, 6:30 p.m.

WHERE:     Highlands Community Center, 604 Highland Woods Drive, Highlands, Texas

Full EPA Proposed Cleanup Plan: https://www.epa.gov/tx/sjrwp

EPA Press Release regarding Proposed Plan: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-announces-proposed-plan-san-jacinto-waste-pits-superfund-site

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