EPA v. FRENCH LTD DISPOSAL SITE

Case summary

SUMMARY DEF IS ON NATL PRIORITY LIST. SITE RANKED ON NPL ON 12/30/82 AND SCORED 50.9 ON MITRE. DEF SITE IS ABANDONED HAZ WSTE SITE. SITE WAS IN OPERA TION FR MID-60'S UNTIL 1972. WAS KNOWN AS BURTON PITS THEN AS FRENCH LIMITED DISPOSAL AFTER AQUIRED BY FRENCH LIMITED OF HOUSTON IN 1967. SITE INITIALLY EXCAVATED FOR SAND FOUND THERE. WASTE DUMPING IN PITS BEGAN IN 1965. THE SITE WAS USED BETWEEN 1965 AND 1971. SITE USED BY VACUUM TANK TRUCKS WHICH PUMPED WSTE INTO FIFTEEN ACRE UNLINED LAGOON. SITE OWNED BY DEF FR 1967 TO 1973. DUMPING HALTED IN 1971 BY ST OF TX. DEF MADE SOME REPAIRS TO DIKES DUE TO ST ENFORCE ACTION. ALSO ADJUST ED PH BY ADD OF CAUSTICS AND TREATED PIT W/BACTERIA AS DIREC TED BY THE ST. OWNER WENT BANKRUPT AND STATE TOOK OVER THE SITE. FLOODING IN 1973 AND 1979 DAMAGED DIKES AND SPREAD CON- TAMINATED MATERIALS (PCB, ORGANIC/INORGANIC) INTO WETLAND SURROUNDING WASTE LAGOON. DIKES WERE REPAIRED TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE. WORK DONE AS EMERGENCY ACTION DONE IN THREE STAGES. DIKES FIRST REPAIRED AS HURRICANE ALLEN APPROACHED. IN 01/81, SLUDGE REMOVED AND FURTHER DIKE REPAIR DONE. IN 01/82, THIRD PHASE COMPLETED. SLUDGES AND FLOATING OILS REMOVED FR SURROUNDING SLOUGHS AND PLACED IN LAGOON. DIKE WORK WAS ALSO DONE. 311 COSTS WERE IN EXCESS OF $709,000 AND CERCLA COST EST AT $125,920.70. SITE WAS AGAIN FLOODED AND CONTAMINATION SPREAD TO ADJA CENT SWAMPS IN 05/83. ANOTHER REMOVAL ACTION BEGAN IN 06/83 FLOATING PCB SLUDGES REMOVED FR LAGOON & AREA AROUND LAGOON. FENCES AND DIKES WERE REPAIRED AND BERMS PLACED ACROSS ENTR- ANCES TO PREVENT DUMPING. COST EST AT $180,801.47.

Defendants (10)

• PENNWALT CORPNamed in complaintNamed in settlement
• ARMCO, INCNamed in complaintNamed in settlement
• ATLANTIC RICHFILED CORPNamed in complaintNamed in settlement
• COASTAL VACUUM TANK SERVICE, INCNamed in complaintNamed in settlement
• E.I. DUPONT DE NEMOURS AND CO, INCNamed in complaintNamed in settlement
• FRENCH LTDNamed in complaintNamed in settlement
• GEORGE A. WHITTENNamed in complaintNamed in settlement
• NL INDUSTRIESNamed in complaintNamed in settlement
• PARKER BROTHERS AND CO, INCNamed in complaintNamed in settlement
• TENNECO POLYMERS, INCNamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (1)

• FRENCH, LTD.

  SAN JACINTO RIVER CROSSING, CROSBY, TX, 77532

  Registry ID: 110009313340

Statutes cited

• CERCLA 107 — Superfund

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• FRENCH LTD DISPOSAL SITEentered 1990-03-01

  Primary law: CERCLA

Timeline (6 milestones)

• 1984-03-30Referred To Headquarters
• 1984-04-24Referred To Dept Of Justice
• 1984-09-28Complaint Filed With Court
• 1990-03-01Final Order Lodged
• 1990-03-01Final Order Entered
• 1990-03-01Concluded