The State Marine of Port Arthur, also known as Golden Triangle Shipyard Inc, is a 17-acre former industrial site in Port Arthur, Jefferson County, Texas. A municipal landfill operated there from 1963 to 1974, including a burn pit, and a barge-cleaning operation began around 1973 using unlined earthen impoundments to store oil and wastewater. The site was proposed to the National Priorities List (NPL) in March 1998 and finalized in July 1998.
Three contaminants of concern were identified in sediments across the entire site: Aroclor 1242, a chemical mixture formerly used in industrial applications, along with copper and zinc. These were selected because EPA determined they posed an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment based on the amounts present and the potential effects of exposure.
EPA completed a removal action between September 2000 and August 2001 that addressed immediate threats. Workers removed aboveground storage tanks, oil pits, drums, debris, and contaminated sludge, and carried out water treatment and oil/water separation. Following a combined remedial investigation and feasibility study, EPA issued a Record of Decision in April 2007 selecting "No Further Action with Institutional Controls" for the site. That means no active remediation was needed, but legal controls remain in place to keep the property in industrial and commercial use. Construction was completed by June 2007, and the site was deleted from the NPL in February 2012.
Human exposure is under control across the entire site. All cleanup goals for current and reasonably anticipated future land use have been met, and all required land-use restrictions are in place. A Five-Year Review completed in July 2022 confirmed the remedy remains protective of human health and the environment. The next five-year review is estimated between July and September 2027. Operation and maintenance activities under EPA oversight continue at the site. The property is currently used for barge cleaning and metal scrapping, with one on-site business employing 170 people as of December 2024.
Community members who want more information can view records at the Port Arthur Public Library, located at 4615 9th Avenue, Port Arthur, Texas 77642, or call (409) 985-8838. The Third Five-Year Review Report is also available online at https://semspub.epa.gov/work/06/100027292.pdf. Media inquiries can be directed to the EPA Press Office at R6Press@epa.gov.
