Celebrating 10 Years of Returning
Superfund Sites to Beneficial Use
Pictured: Perspective of future redevelopment at the Tex Tin site.
(Source: Texas City Phoenix International Terminal Web site)
To facilitate redevelopment at the Tex Tin Superfund site, EPA, Texas
City officials, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
(TCEQ), and site developers collaborated to put to use several tools
offered by EPA. First, EPA's Superfund Redevelopment Initiative
awarded the site a 2001 Pilot Grant, which the City used to gather
community perspectives on remediation alternatives and reuse options
and fund a reuse assessment plan for the site. In 2003, EPA, TCEQ, and
Texas City co-signed the nation's first Ready for Reuse (RfR)
determination for the site's first operable unit. The RfR determination,
which was followed by a second RfR that same year for the second
operable unit, stated that the land was protective for commercial uses as
long as specific conditions were met.
Located on the banks of Galveston Bay, the 170-acre site housed
copper and tin smelting facilities from the outset of World War II until
the mid-1980s. Years of non-compliance with state environmental
permitting requirements led to the site's referral to EPA and listing on
Superfund's National Priorities List in 1990. Waste piles, waste water
treatment ponds, acid ponds, and slag piles required remediation. Once
cleanup activities addressing soil, ground water, and sediment
contamination were complete in 2001, developers quickly recognized
the former smelter site as an ideal location for facilities to support the
nearby Texas City deep-water terminal. The developers' plans for the
property, redeveloped as Texas City Phoenix International Terminal,
include warehouse distribution, freight forwarding, container storage
facilities, and a full-service truck stop. It is estimated that this new
large-scale development will generate over $4 million in new sales
taxes annually and provide hundreds of new jobs.
For more information, please contact Melissa Friedland at friedland melissa@epa.gov or Frank Avvisato at
avvi sato. fir ank@epa. gov.
&EPA
REGION 6
Success Story
Tex Tin
Corporation:
Texas City, Texas
Pictured: Aerial view of the Tex Tin site prior to
remediation. (Source: EPA)
"The prevalent attitude has been one of
cooperation and support, at local, state and
national levels. Officials of the City of
Texas City, the Texas Commission for
Environmental Quality, EPA, and private
companies all worked diligently together to
get the Tex Tin cleanup safely done. The
result now is that, unlike numerous fenced-
in environmental Superfund sites, we have
a property that can once again contribute
to the economy of the area, providing jobs
and adding tax revenues to local
government." - John Bredthauer, Tex Tin
Custodial Trustee
"This is what the EPA's 'Ready for Re-use'
program is all about -- bringing an
underused waste site back into productive
use. I am delighted that buyers have come
forward to develop the Tex Tin property,
closing the loop on years of effort by
people at every level of government." -
Richard E, Greene, Former EPA Regional
Administrator
Texas City Phoenix
International Tern inal ciiy ol Ttiu Clly
Texas City Mcua Port
H	
Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation
Superfund Redevelopment Initiative
June 2009

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