The Hart Creosoting Company site sits in Jasper, Texas, where a wood treatment facility operated from 1958 to 1993. Workers used coal tar creosote dissolved in diesel to treat railroad ties and utility poles. Waste was disposed of in unlined surface ponds, spreading contamination across soil, sediment, surface water, and groundwater. The site remains on the EPA's National Priorities List (NPL), meaning it has not yet been formally deleted from that list of the country's most contaminated places.
EPA has identified 40 contaminants of concern at the site. These include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) such as benzo[a]pyrene, naphthalene, and anthracene, as well as benzene, cresols, and phenols. Contaminants like naphthalene, 2-methylnaphthalene, benzene, and benzo[a]pyrene show up in all four media types: soil, groundwater, surface water, and sediment. All contamination is concentrated in the source area, known as Operable Unit 01.
Cleanup has moved through several stages. In 1995, EPA drained the ponds and stabilized sludge in a temporary on-site waste cell. A formal remedy was selected in September 2006. It called for excavating contaminated soil and sediment into an on-site containment cell, recovering free-phase creosote from groundwater, and using multi-phase extraction and hydraulic control to manage the contaminated plume. Construction of that remedy finished in September 2008. A source area remedial action ran through August 2010, followed by a long-term response action through August 2020. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) then took over operation and maintenance, which continues today.
EPA determined that human exposure is currently under control and that groundwater migration is also under control. The site reached "Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use" status in May 2014, meaning cleanup goals for current and expected future land uses have been met. Institutional controls, including zoning restrictions, limit the land to non-residential use and help prevent exposure to remaining contamination. The most recent five-year review, completed in August 2023, found that the remedy remains protective of human health and the environment in the short term. That review recommended re-evaluating cleanup goals for groundwater and surface water, assessing vapor intrusion pathways, and making cap repairs. The next five-year review is estimated between August and October 2028.
Community members who want to learn more or get involved can review the 2023 Five-Year Review Report online at https://semspub.epa.gov/work/06/100029401.pdf or in person at the Jasper Public Library in Jasper, Texas or the TCEQ offices in Austin. Contact information for EPA and TCEQ staff is available for those with questions about the site's progress or land-use restrictions.
