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EPA Proposes to Add Corpus Christi Site to Federal Cleanup Priorities List

Release Date: 9/13/2001
Contact Information: For more information contact the Office of External Affairs at (214) 665-2200.

     The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes to add the Brine Service Company site in the western section of Corpus Christi to the federal Superfund National Priorities List (NPL), EPA and Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) announced today.

      "Adding this site to the Superfund list makes federal dollars available, allowing EPA and the TNRCC to speed their cleanup and meet the agencies’ commitment to protect public health and our environment," EPA Regional Administrator Gregg Cooke said.

     The site is comprised of two adjacent waste disposal pit areas, one of which is located on property formerly owned and operated by Brine Service Company.  This pit area reportedly received oil field and refinery wastes from as early as 1946 through the 1960s.  Sampling of the pit areas revealed the presence of metals, including mercury, as well as several organic compounds.  The site is being proposed to the NPL because hazardous substances have migrated to waterways and mercury has been detected in Tule Lake, a brackish shallow water wetland area and a habitat for several State Listed Threatened Species.  Tule Lake flows into Corpus Christi Inner Harbor, which in turn flows into Corpus Christi Bay.  Corpus Christi Bay is an estuarine subtidal area and has been nominated to the National Estuary Program.  The Bay is used for recreational and commercial fishing.

     Sampling in February 2000 by the TNRCC confirmed the presence of metals and organic compounds in both pit areas and documented elevated concentrations of mercury in the nearby wetland areas of Tule Lake.  

     Land use surrounding the Brine Service Company site is commercial/industrial including three refineries located within mile of the site.  Several pipelines traverse the site.

     The EPA Superfund program works closely with state agencies to clean and restore uncontrolled contaminated properties. Superfund cleans sites when the work required is beyond the resources of state and local agencies.

     EPA will seek public comments for 60 days on adding this site to the NPL. Those comments will be addressed before the Agency makes the final decision about adding the site to the NPL. During this public comment period, the Agency will continue to develop cleanup plans so that actual work may begin as quickly after NPL listing as possible.

     The public comment period will end on November 12, 2001.  More information on making comments is available on the EPA web site at https://www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/npl_hrs/pubcom.htm.

     Additional information about the Brine Service Company site is available on the EPA web site at https://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/siteclass/newnpl.htm