The contract allows for further study of groundwater contamination to determine the feasibility of a 2010 remedy plan, EPA remedial project manager Lauren Guidry-Leach said. The agency will have to develop an entirely new remedy if the plan is determined “not feasible” by the end of the study, which is projected for September 2026.
How we got here
The area became contaminated after Bell Dry Cleaners, which operated from 1984 to 2002 in a shopping center at 11600 Jones Road in Houston, improperly disposed of dry cleaning solvents according to EPA reports. As a result, hazardous chemicals seeped into the soil and groundwater and spread outward, creating a plume.
The site is one of 13 active Superfund sites in Harris County and was added to the EPA’s national priorities list in 2003.
According to the EPA’s community presentation, actions taken as part of the 2010 remedy plan include:
- Extracting and treating groundwater
- Activating microorganisms to work against contaminants, known as an in-situ bioremediation injection
- Plugging private wells in the area
- Installing indoor exhaust systems in three suites of Cypress Centre
- Connecting eligible individuals to a public water supply that the EPA constructed in 2008
Public input
Dozens of Cy-Fair residents, some of whom live within the boundary, questioned EPA representatives at the community meeting about their progress and timeline. Several attendees asked when site cleanup is projected to be complete, which EPA officials could not answer.
Melissa Rowell, president of the North Harris County Regional Water Authority Board of Directors, said the agency should be testing and monitoring water at properties outside the boundary, as contaminants may have spread beyond the sampling region. Currently, the EPA will only test water at properties located within the boundary, Guidry-Leach said.
For many residents, public health is a primary concern, with several sharing fears of cancer, respiratory damage and fertility issues linked to chemical exposure. Superfund project manager Chris Villarreal told attendees there is no direct exposure threat in the sampling region.
Houston nonprofit Texas Health and Environment Alliance focuses on educating communities about the cleanup status and potential health consequences of Superfund sites.
THEA founder Jackie Medcalf strongly encouraged residents at the meeting to grant the EPA access to their properties for sampling. She also urged community members to continue attending meetings and contacting their elected officials, noting that most Superfund sites take at least 30 years to clean up.
“I’m not the government, so I can speak frankly with you. They don’t know where the plume is,” Medcalf said. “They simply don’t know, and that’s what they’re trying to figure out.”
What’s next
The EPA has asked residents located within the water line boundary for permission to collect groundwater samples in a field investigation, consisting of two drilling phases:
- Phase I includes well monitoring, updating the conceptual site model and passive soil gas air sampling.
- Phase II includes high-resolution site characterization, well redevelopment and installation and groundwater/vapor sampling.
Find more information about the plume on the EPA’s website.
