Falcon Refinery

Overview

Falcon Refinery is a 104-acre abandoned oil refinery near Ingleside, Texas, in San Patricio County. It operated intermittently from 1980, refining up to 40,000 barrels of crude per day and producing naphtha, jet fuel, kerosene, diesel, and fuel oil. The site also handled vinyl acetate. Refinery operations and waste disposal contaminated soil, groundwater, and wetlands with hazardous chemicals. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 2011, designating it for formal investigation and cleanup.

EPA divided the site into three operable units (OUs). OU1 covers groundwater. Investigation wrapped up in 2016, and EPA selected no action in a 2017 Record of Decision (ROD), finding no unacceptable risk to human health or the environment. OU2 covers wetlands and marine habitats. Investigation finished in 2020, and EPA found unacceptable risks existed but still selected no further action in a 2021 ROD. OU3 covers soils. A remedial investigation and feasibility study began in September 2022 and is still ongoing. No cleanup decision has been issued for soils yet.

The site's former owner signed an agreement with EPA in 2004 to fund cleanup, but declared bankruptcy in 2011. A new owner took over in 2012. Under EPA oversight, a removal action addressed abandoned tanks, equipment, and piping, running from June 2004 through December 2023. Zoning restrictions are in place as institutional controls, preventing residential use and limiting exposure to any remaining contamination. EPA will collect additional soil and groundwater samples as the remedial investigation continues.

Currently, human exposure at the site is under control. EPA has determined there are no unacceptable human exposure pathways, and contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. Physical construction of a full site remedy is not yet complete, and the site has not achieved sitewide ready-for-anticipated-use status. Redevelopment may still be possible on portions of the site under the existing zoning restrictions.

Community members can contact EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator, Jason McKinney, with questions or concerns. The Remedial Project Manager, Brian Mueller, handles technical cleanup matters. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) also oversees the site and can answer questions about institutional controls.