TEX TIN
CORPORATI
TEXAS
EPA ID# TXD062113329
EPA REGION 6
CONGRESSIONAL
DISTRICT 09
Galveston County
Other Names:
Gulf Chemical Metallurgical
Updated: 07/02/03
Site Description
Location:
• The Tex Tin site is located in a mixed industrial/petrochemical/residential area at the
intersection of State Highway 146 and FM 519 in Texas City, Galveston County,
Texas.
• The site is approximately 10 miles north of Galveston, Texas, and the City of
LaMarque is located approximately 1/2 mile northwest of the site.
Population:
• An estimated 25,000 people live within a three-mile radius of the site.
Setting:
• Tex Tin is an inactive tin and copper smelter.
• The 170-acre site contains numerous waste handling or disposal areas, including five
waste water treatment ponds, open and closed acid ponds, slag piles, an inactive
(permitted) landfill containing low level radioactive wastes, and an inactive
hydrocarbon recovery facility (Morchem).
• Industrial waste disposal facilities and marsh areas are located south and southwest of
the site.
Hydrology:
• The shallow Chicot Aquifer is comprised of interbedded sedimentary deposits of sand,
gravel, silt and clay, and extends from about 60 feet to about 1,000 feet below the site.
• The Chicot aquifer is overlain by shallow transmissive zones which are not utilized for
drinking water supplies.
Wastes and Volumes
Surface Soils
• Surface soils have been impacted by constituents released at site.
• Major contaminants identified are arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead and
nickel.
• Radionuclides and low-level gamma radiation above background levels have been
detected.
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EPA Publication Date: July 8, 2003
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Subsurface Soils
• Subsurface soils (generally in the upper 2 to 5 feet) have been impacted by site
activities.
• Major contaminants identified were arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead and
nickel.
Former Acid Ponds
• Fill and sediment in ponds exceed background concentrations for various inorganic
constituents and have a low pH.
• Radionuclides above background levels, and volatile organic compounds, were
identified in some of the former ponds.
Slag Piles
• Piles have high concentrations of inorganic constituents.
• Several piles were identified that had high levels of gamma radiation and levels of
radium-226 above background.
Ground Water
• Shallow transmissive zone has been impacted by site activities. Inorganic constituents
(antimony, arsenic, barium, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury,
nickel and selenium) and several organic constituents exceed maximum contaminant
levels (MCLs) and up gradient ground water concentrations. Radium-226 and radium-
228 exceed MCLs in some shallow ground water samples.
• Medium transmissive zone has been impacted by inorganic constituents to a lesser
degree than the shallow transmissive zone. Concentrations of various inorganic
constituents exceed MCLs.
• The deep transmissive zone appears to have little impact with low levels of
contamination with some inorganic constituents slightly above MCLs.
Site Assessment and Ranking
NPL LISTING HISTORY
Site HRS Score: 50.00
Proposed Date: 6/17/96
Final Date: 9/18/98
NPL Update: Vol. 63 No.181
EPA Publication Date: July 8, 2003
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Site Map and Diagram
The Remediation Process
Site History:
• The site was originally developed as a tin smelting operation by the U.S. Government
during World War II. Wah Chang Corporation bought the site after the war and sold it
in 1970 to Associated Metals and Minerals which operated the site under the name of
Gulf Chemical and Metallurgical Company until 1984, when the name was changed to
Tex Tin Corporation.
• Tin was processed at the facility from 1941 until 1989; secondary copper smelting
began in 1989. All smelting operations ceased in April 1991.
• In 1969 AMOCO Chemical Co. purchased about 27 acres on the eastern portion of the
site.
• Amoco Chemical Company and Tex Tin Corporation entered into an Administrative
Order on Consent in 1990 to perform a Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study
(RI/FS).
• The RI field work was concluded in August 1992, and development of the RI report,
the Risk Assessment report, and the FS report began. The RI report was finalized in
August 1993. Amoco did not complete the FS report.
• Tex Tin Corporation challenged the NPL listing in Federal Appeals Court. Oral
arguments were presented May 23, 1991.
• On June 14, 1991, the Court issued its determination that EPA had not provided
sufficient information to support the conclusion made in the HRS package that arsenic
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could reasonably be released from waste piles.
• The Court remanded the NPL listing to EPA for "a reasoned explanation" of why
arsenic is likely to be released from the waste piles.
• A hearing on the NPL listing status was held on April 5, 1993.
• On May 11, 1993, The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
ordered Tex Tin deleted from the NPL.
• In a June 18, 1993, letter from EPA to the Texas Natural Resource Conservation
Commission (TNRCC) now the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ),
the site was referred to the TNRCC. TNRCC subsequently designed a special study to
collect data to evaluate the site under the federal Hazard Ranking System (HRS).
• TNRCC completed the special study and submitted the results to EPA as a draft HRS
documentation record. In a letter dated October 5, 1994, TNRCC requested EPA to
evaluate the Tex Tin site for re-proposal on the NPL.
• The Tex Tin site was re-proposed to the NPL in June 1996. The Tex Tin site was
finalized on the NPL on September 18, 1998.
Health Considerations:
• Potential human exposure risks include inhalation of particulate from site soils,
incidental ingestion of sediments, soils, and shallow ground water, and dermal contact
with soils.
• Inorganic constituents released at the site have impacted the surface soils, subsurface
soils and ground water.
• All wells within a 1-mile radius of the site are completed in deeper aquifers where
contamination has not been identified.
Other Environmental Risks:
• There is low-level radioactive material buried in a permitted landfill. Radionuclides
and low-level gamma radiation were detected on the site during the Remedial
Investigation.
• Low pH water is leaving the site to the south through Wah Chang ditch.
Records of Decision
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Community Involvement
• Community Involvement Plan: Developed 8/90
• Open houses and workshops: 4/90, 5/90, 6/90, 9/98, 3/99, 3/2000, 8/2000
• Proposed Plan Fact Sheet and Public Meeting: 9/98, 3/2000, 7/2000
• ROD Fact Sheet:
• Milestone Fact Sheets: 8/88, 5/90, 6/90, 9/90, 12/90, 2/91 (by PRPs), 5/00
• Constituency Interest: Residents are primarily concerned with airborne dust
contaminants and off-site migration of contamination from storm water runoff; site is
located in a heavily industrialized area. There are 152 citizens on site mailing list.
• Site Repository: Moore Memorial Library, 1701 Ninth Avenue North, Texas City, TX
77590
Technical Assistance Grant
• Availability Notice: 9/89, Re-advertised 8/90, 7/24/99; 5/28/00
• Letters of Intent Received:
1) 12/2/89 - Tex Tin Area Citizens Group - LOI withdrawn 8/90
2) 2/28/92 - Environmental Protection Advisory Group - 12/92, no application received
3) 8/26/99 - Lee Subdivision Homeowners Association - final application on 10/13/99.
Application was deficient and needed corrections. Application rejected on 4/00.
4) 7/19/99 - RESPECT did not send in TAG application.
5 8/26/99 - Lee Subdivision Homeowners Association - asked for extension 9/10/99;
sent in application 10/13/99.
5) 5/3/00 - RESPECT Committee - no final application received
• Grant Award:
Contacts
• Remedial Project Manager (EPA):Carlos Sanchez, 214-665-8507, Mail Code:6SF-A
• Remedial Project Manager (EPA):Philip H. Allen, 214-665-8516, Mail Code: 6SF-
AP
• On Scene Coordinator: Warren Zehner, 281-983-2229, Mail Code; 6SF-R2
• EPA Region 6 Regional Pubic Liaison: Arnold Ondarza, 303/312-6777
• State Contact: (TCEQ) Alvie Nichols, 512/239-2439, Mail Code 143
• Community Coordinator (EPA): Donn Walters, 214-665-6483, Mail Code: 6SF-PO
• Attorney (EPA): Pam Travis. 214-665-8056, Mail Code: 6RC-S
• State Coordinator (EPA): Karen A. Bond, 214-665-6682, Mail Code: 6SF-AP
• EPA Contractor: CH2M Hill
Enforcement
• One Hundred thirty (130) Potential Responsible Parties (PRPs) have been identified for
the site.
• Administrative Order on Consent was signed on March 30, 1990 with site PRPs to
conduct the remedial investigation (RI) and feasibility study (FS). Only the RI was
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conducted.
• A consent decree between EPA and the PRP group, including Federal PRPs, was
lodged in May 2000. The consent decree included all four operable units. The PRPs
agreed to conduct the remedial design and remedial action for OU No. 1, the former
smelter facility, and fund the remedial design and remedial action for OU No. 4, the
Swan Lake Salt Marsh area.
• The court approved the consent decree between EPA and the PRP group in August
2000.
Present Status and Issues
• In June 1998, Amoco completed cleanup activities for Parcel H (Amoco Property) of
the Tex Tin site. Parcel H has been designated as Operable Unit No. 2 of the Tex Tin
site.
• The Tex Tin site was finalized on the NPL on September 18, 1998.
• EPA released the Proposed Plan for the industrial site, Operable Unit No. 1, on
September 9, 1998. The initial 30-day public comment period ran from September 9,
1998, through October 9, 1998. A request to extend the public comment period was
submitted and the comment period was extended an additional 30 days and ended on
November 9, 1998. The Record of Decision (ROD) for the facility, Operable Unit No.
1, was signed by the Regional Administrator on May 17, 1999.
• Removal activities for the residential removal action in LaMarque, Texas, started in
March 1999 for Operable Unit No. 3 of the Tex Tin site. The residential removal
action was completed at the end of June 1999.
• As a result of negotiations with a group of PRPs, EPA amended the remedy selected for
OU No. 1. The Amended Proposed Plan was released to the public on March 7, 2000.
EPA conducted the 30-day public comment period from March 7, 2000 through April
5, 2000. During the public comment period, EPA held a public meeting on March 23,
2000 to receive oral and written comments from the community. The EPA signed the
Amended ROD for OU No. 1 on September 28, 2000.
• The EPA signed the ROD for the residential properties, OU No. 3 on September 29,
2000.
• The Proposed Plan public comment period for OU No. 4, the Swan Lake Salt Marsh
area, ran from April 13, 2001, through May 21, 2001. A public meeting was held in
Texas City, Texas, on April 26, 2001. The EPA signed the ROD for OU No. 4 on
September 27, 2001.
• The Proposed Plan for OU No. 2, Amoco property, ran from July 27, 2001, through
August 27, 2001. A public meeting was held in Texas City, Texas, on August 9, 2001.
The EPA signed the ROD for OU No. 2 on September 27, 2001.
• In September 2000, Texas City received a $100,000 Superfund Redevelopment Grant
to develop reuse options for the former smelter site. EPA and the PRPs are working
with Texas City during the remedial design and remedial action phases of the project to
ensure that development options are maximized.
• In January 2002, the contractor for the PRP Group started the Phase II remedial action
activities at OU No. 1, the former smelter facility. Cleanup activities are scheduled for
completion by mid-2004. Based on a revised work schedule, the remedial action may
be completed in September 2003, approximately 9 months ahead of schedule.
• In February 2002, EPA contracted with the Corps of Engineers, Galveston District, to
conduct the remedial design for Tex Tin OU No. 4, the Swan Lake Salt March area.
The Remedial Design was completed in October 2002. EPA approved the Remedial
EPA Publication Date: July 8, 2003
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Design and Technical Plans on January 8, 2003.
• The Corps of Engineers opened construction bids in May 2003 to implement the
remedial action for OU No. 4. The Corps plans to award the contract to the low bidder
in early July 2003 and start field activities before the end of July 2003. The remedial
action activities are scheduled to be completed in about 6 months.
Benefits
• Cleanup of site contaminants would address the threat of potential site and off-site
contamination to public health (workers/community) and the environment (ground
water and surface water). A minority community is located approximately 2,000 feet
from the site and approximately 3,500 people live within a mile radius of the site.
Addressing the source contamination would prevent future migration of site
contaminants to the shallow ground water. After site remediation of OU No. 1,
approximately 100 acres could be used for future industrial/commercial development.
• The cleanup in the residential areas was conducted to meet residential health standards
so that these areas can continue to be used for residential purposes.
• Completion of cleanup activities for OU No. 4 will provide protection to the ecological
system for the Swan Lake Salt Marsh area and prevent potential releases of
contaminated sediments to the environment.
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