In Texas, Concerns About Damage To Flooded Toxic Waste Sites

Image: Floodwater from last week's storm ripped apart fences and flooded I-10. The San Jacinto Waste Pits Superfund site is just on the other side of the road.  Rebecca Hersher/NPR 

npr.org - Rebecca Hersher - September 4th 2017

Updated at 8:15 p.m. ET

Officials are still trying to confirm whether Texas floodwaters have spread contamination from decades-old toxic waste sites, as water recedes and residents return to homes that, in some cases, were flooded with water that passed over known contaminated areas.

The Environmental Protection Agency says 13 Superfund sites were flooded and potentially damaged by Hurricane Harvey. In addition to two sites determined to be undamaged over the weekend, the EPA said Monday that personnel had inspected the Highland Acid Pit, U.S. Oil Recovery and the San Jacinto Waste Pits, but did not announce results of those inspections.

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