Site Name: SIKES DISPOSAL PITS
EPA ID: TXD980513956 EPA Region: 06 Metro Statistical Area: 3360
US HWY 90, CROSBY, TX 77532
Operable Unit:
ROD ID: EPA/ROD/R06-86/013 ROD Date: 09/18/86
Contaminant: ORGANICS; PHENOLS; SLUDGES; TOLUENE
Keys: ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGY; EXCAVATION; FLOOD PLAIN; GROUND WATER; GROUND WATER MONITORING; INCINERATION; O&M; ONSITE DISPOSAL; ORGANICS; PHENOLS; SEDIMENTS; SLUDGES; SOIL; SURFACE WATER; TOLUENE
Abstract:
THE SIKES DISPOSAL PITS SITE IS LOCATED ON A 185-ACRE SITE, APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CROSBY, TX. IT IS BORDERED BY THE SAN JACINTO RIVER ON THE WEST, JACKSON BAYOU ON THE NORTH, AND U.S. HIGHWAY 90 ON THE SOUTH. THE SITE LIES IN THE 100-YEAR FLOODPLAIN OF THE RIVER WHILE PORTIONS LIE WITHIN THE 10-YEAR AND 50-YEAR FLOODPLAIN. THE SITE HAS BEEN FLOODED FOUR TIMES SINCE 1969. THE AREA IMMEDIATELY SURROUNDING THE SITE IS LARGELY UNDERDEVELOPED WITH NUMEROUS ACTIVE AND ABANDONED SANDPITS AND LOW LYING SWAMP AREAS. THE AREA PLAYS HOST TO SPORT FISHERMEN AS WELL AS WATER SPORT ENTHUSIASTS ON THE NEARBY RIVER AND BAYOU. ONE FAMILY LIVES ONSITE. THE ONLY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IN CLOSE PROXIMITY IS 500 FEET SOUTHWEST. BETWEEN THE EARLY 1960S AND 1967, SIKES DISPOSAL PITS OPERATED AS A WASTE DEPOSITORY. CHEMICAL WASTES FROM AREA PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRIES AND NUMEROUS DRUMS WERE DEPOSITED ONSITE IN SEVERAL OLD SAND PITS. A PRELIMINARY SAMPLING AT THE SITE IN 1982 INDICATED THE PRESENCE OF PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS AND OTHER ORGANICS. IN JUNE 1983 A REMOVAL ACTION PERFORMED AT THE SITE BY THE EPA REMOVED APPROXIMATELY 440 CUBIC YARDS OF PHENOLIC TARS FROM A PARTIALLY BURIED PIT. SUBSEQUENT STUDIES AT THE SITE INDICATED THE NEED FOR A TOTAL REMEDIAL SITE PLAN. ONSITE SOILS AND SURFACE WATER FROM THE SLUDGE AREAS AS WELL AS TANK LAKE WERE FOUND TO BE CONTAMINATED. GROUND WATER IN THE SHALLOW AQUIFER BELOW THE SITE HAS BEEN HEAVILY CONTAMINATED; NO RESIDENTIAL WELLS ARE CURRENTLY AFFECTED. NEITHER SURFACE WATER OR GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION HAS MIGRATED BEYOND THE SITE BOUNDARIES. THE PRIMARY CONTAMINANTS OF CONCERN INCLUDE; ORGANICS, TOLUENE, CREOSOTE, BENZENE, XYLENE, PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS, HALIDES, DICHLOROETHANE, VINYL CHLORIDE.
THE SELECTED REMEDIAL ACTION INCLUDES; ONSITE INCINERATION OF SLUDGES AND CONTAMINATED SOILS; ONSITE DISPOSAL OF RESIDUE ASH - USE AS BACKFILL; BAN USE OF UPPER AQUIFER ONSITE, WHILE NATURALLY ATTENUATING TO 10-5 HUMAN HEALTH CRITERIA (LESS THAN 30 YEARS); DISCHARGE CONTAMINATED SURFACE WATER TO RIVER, TREAT AS NECESSARY TO MEET DISCHARGE CRITERIA; MONITOR LOWER AQUIFER AND BAN ITS USE ONSITE IF SITE DEGRADATION OCCURS. THE ESTIMATED CAPITAL COST FOR THIS ACTION IS $102,217,000 WITH ANNUAL O&M OF $41,000.
Remedy:
* NSITE INCINERATION OF SLUDGES AND CONTAMINATED SOILS; - ONSITE DISPOSAL OF RESIDUE ASH - USE AS BACKFILL; - BAN USE OF UPPER AQUIFER ONSITE, WHILE NATURALLY ATTENUATING TO 10-5 HUMAN HEALTH CRITERIA (LESS THAN 30 YEARS);
* DISCHARGE CONTAMINATED SURFACE WATER TO RIVER, TREAT AS NECESSARY TO MEET DISCHARGE CRITERIA;
* MONITOR LOWER AQUIFER AND BAN ITS USE ONSITE IF SITE DEGRADATION OCCURS.