Governor Abbott Announces Completion Of Superfund Site Inspections
Governor Greg Abbott today announced that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and have completed the initial assessments of all 60 Superfund sites in the affected area caused by Hurricane Harvey. The TCEQ has completed the assessment of all 17 state Superfund sites in the affected areas with no major issues noted. EPA has also completed site assessments at all 43 Superfund sites in the affected area. Of all the sites, two (San Jacinto and U.S. Oil Recovery) require additional precautionary assessment efforts. Assessments of these sites will take several days to complete.
“It is imperative that the State of Texas work in close collaboration with our federal partners at the EPA to ensure that the safety of the people in these areas,” said Governor Abbott. “I am pleased at the swift action by the TCEQ and the EPA to assess these threats, and I’m thankful for dedication of the professionals at both the state and federal level who have worked so diligently to evaluate the affected areas.”
“Recognizing the importance of potential environmental impacts, TCEQ staff took swift action by getting to the impacted state Superfund sites as soon as possible to assess potential damage," said TCEQ Chairman Bryan Shaw.
State and federal environmental agencies will continue to work together to monitor all state and federal Superfund sites to ensure the health and safety of all Texas residents.