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Smelter Stack at Tex Tin Site Demolished

Release Date: 10/24/2002
Contact Information: For more information contact the Office of External Affairs at (214) 665-2200.

      Today, government officials and stakeholders cheered as the 250-foot stack at the Tex Tin site was demolished, marking the beginning of the final phase of cleanup at one of the largest Superfund sites in Texas.

      The Tex Tin site is a 170-acre property located at the intersection of State Highway 146 and FM 519.  The site was originally built and used by the federal government during World War II to process tin.  Subsequent owners performed a variety of smelter functions at the site until it was closed in 1991.

      To date, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has spent more than $10.7 million cleaning up the site. Cleanup is complete at several portions of the site. A group of potentially responsible parties (PRP) has agreed to complete the cleanup at an estimated cost of $26.3 million. The PRP group includes the federal government.  

      Mike Cook, Director of EPA's Office of Emergency and Remedial Response, said, "Cleaning these sites is important not only to protect people and the environment, but also to ensure the land is an asset for the community."

      The EPA, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the mayor of Texas City worked to bring the community's needs together with the PRP's cleanup so the site could be restored in alignment with projected redevelopment plans.  Texas City received a $100,000 Superfund redevelopment grant in September 2000 from EPA to study reuse options.

      David Davis, TCEQ Remediation Division Assistant Director, said, "We are pleased to have reached this important milestone. The cleanup of this site and surrounding properties has been a priority for us and we are glad to see it nearing completion."

      Texas City Mayor Carlos Garza said, "The demolition of the smokestack is a significant accomplishment in the cleanup of the Tex Tin site.  It signals the end of a Superfund site and the beginning of an economic opportunity in our community. The relationship between the EPA, the TCEQ, the responsible parties and Texas City is an outstanding example of the type of intergovernmental cooperation for the benefit of our citizens that the public expects."

      More information about the site is available at https://www.epa.gov/earth1r6/6sf/pdffiles/tex-tin.pdf.