CONTAMINANT REDUCTION The soil vapor extraction system prevents indoor air contamination and reduces the source of contamination to the groundwater. Officials said it has removed 400 pounds of contaminants by extracting soil from both shallow and deep sources.
Tetrachloroethene (PCE) concentration detected
Shallow soil vapor extraction system 1M
Deep soil vapor extraction system 80K 60K 40K 20K 0 Aug. 2019: 62,667
Maximum contaminant level goal: 5,000
Maximum contaminant level goal: 5,000
Aug. 2019: 730,000
800K 600K 400K 200K 0
April 2022: 48,000
April 2022: 3,100
2019
2020
2021
2022
2019
2020
2021
2022
SOURCE: U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
2019
2022 2023
The EPA has not determined when the Jones Road site might be removed from the National Priorities List, but the agency does have short-term plans. Ongoing The soil vapor extraction system will continue operating. March 31 Private well owners were to sign up for water line connection by this deadline. May Bioremediation injections will take place where contamination is rebounding. Summer White Oak Bend Municipal Utility District will facilitate water line connections. Fall Post-injection sampling will determine effectiveness. Future Groundwater investigation will continue to determine future steps. By Dec. 31, 2024 The EPA will implement appropriate actions where private wells are still being used and evaluate exposure pathways where contamination exceeds goals. By Aug. 31, 2026 Officials will determine if additional controls are needed where contamination exceeds goals.
“IT’S KILLED OUR BUSINESS. MY RESTAURANT BUSINESS
Soil vapor extraction system is installed behind the shopping center to mitigate contamination levels.
A five-year review on the progress states remedial
HAS DROPPED TWO THIRDS.”
actions were “not protective” due to the continued use of private wells.
JESSIE RHEA, OWNER OF JESSIE’S COUNTRY COOKING, ON TEXAS HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT ALLIANCE’S OUTREACH EFFORTS
The EPA provided site updates at a Feb. 27 public meeting. DANICA LLOYD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
beyond studies and into the remedial action, and I know that that has been identified, but the one thing I think [is] missing ... is dates,” Ramsey said at the Feb. 27 meeting. Pamela Bonta, the mother of THEA founder Jackie Medcalf, at the Feb. 27 meeting said she believes the plume, or contamination area, has moved due to the number of ill residents liv- ing outside the EPA’s jurisdiction. Jordan said THEA has conducted health surveys to learn about the prevalence of illnesses in the neigh- borhoods, and the group is working with The University of Texas Medical Branch to sample 55 wells for contam- ination. THEA was unable to provide data from these health surveys or well testing results to Community Impact . “As long as there’s still groundwater wells being used in this area, it’s going to create instability with the plume, and it’ll move,” Jordan said. “And it doesn’t move quickly, … but you know,
the site has been here for about 20 years now, and so that’s enough time for things to kind of fluctuate and move throughout the groundwater system.” Josiam said she does not believe the plume has moved or expanded. Jessie Rhea, who manages the shopping center and owns Jessie’s Country Cooking at the site, said Bonta has attempted to sell water fil- tration systems to one of his tenants and to customers who live in the area. “It’s killed our business. My restau- rant business has dropped two-thirds. Mekong—the little sandwich shop— their business has dropped below 75% of what they were doing. And I had one [Raja Mediterranean Food] move because of it,” he said. While Jordan said she believes some systems can filter out the con- taminants, she denied accusations that THEA representatives are push- ing sales from a particular company or profiting off water filter sales.
Upcoming plans Funding from the federal Bipar- tisan Infrastructure Law—which is investing $3.5 billion in remediation at Superfund sites—will be used for water line connections this summer. Robledo said the EPA also received $560,000 for the soil vapor extraction system’s operations and $300,000 for bioremediation injections. The EPA has plans for additional injections in May with follow-up sam- pling this fall. From there, officials will determine next steps. “I know all these steps take time. It’s taken us this long, but we are get- ting there. The one thing that’s uncer- tain in all of this is the endpoint … because we don’t know how much is actually in the ground,” Josiam said.
For more information, visit communityimpact.com .
SOURCE: U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Rashes, bites and stings are just some of the non-life threatening illnesses and injuries we treat quickly and affordably.
SO IT WAS POISON IVY AFTER ALL.
Scan for the nearest location. Open 9am – 9pm, 7 days a week nextlevelurgentcare.com
23
CYPRESS EDITION • APRIL 2023
Powered by FlippingBook