Sikes Disposal Pits sits about two miles southwest of Crosby in Harris County, Texas. It operated as an illegal open dump from 1961 to 1967, receiving roughly 2,000 drums and bulk quantities of chemical waste, mostly benzene, phenols, and organic solvents from nearby petrochemical companies. The site covers 185 acres and was added to the National Priorities List (NPL) in September 1983. The NPL is the EPA's roster of the most serious hazardous waste sites in the country.
Sixty chemical substances have been identified as contaminants of concern across soil, groundwater, surface water, and sludge. These include chlorinated compounds such as trichloroethene and vinyl chloride, heavy metals including lead, cadmium, mercury, and chromium, benzene and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) like naphthalene and pyrene, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and various phthalates. The biggest health risk is drinking contaminated groundwater. Other exposure pathways include contact with contaminated soil and eating fish or wildlife exposed to site contaminants. Short-term exposure pathways that could cause unacceptable risks are currently being controlled.
The EPA selected excavation, on-site incineration, and ash disposal as the cleanup method in a Record of Decision issued in September 1986. An earlier removal action in 1983 pulled out about 440 cubic yards of buried phenolic tars. Several additional removal actions followed between 1983 and 1989. By January 1995, construction of the main cleanup was finished, treating 496,253 tons of contaminated soil and sludge and 350 million gallons of contaminated water. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has managed operation and maintenance since April 1997, conducting semi-annual monitoring of shallow wells and annual monitoring of deep wells.
The site achieved "sitewide ready for anticipated reuse" status in September 2013, meaning required land-use restrictions are in place and no unacceptable risks remain for current and reasonably anticipated future uses. Data from 2020 show groundwater contaminant concentrations are either stable or declining, with low-concentration VOCs and metals confined near former pond locations. A remedial investigation for one operable unit was completed in March 2024. The sources note two different dates for the most recent five-year review, September 2016 and September 2021, so both dates are reported here as stated. The next five-year review is estimated between September and November 2026. The site has not been deleted from the NPL.
Community members can visit records at the Crosby Branch Library in Crosby, Texas or the TCEQ Records Management office in Austin. The site now hosts recreational businesses including Twisted River Ranch and XTREME Marina and Camping Park, offering off-roading, fishing, camping, and a boat launch. Questions can be directed to the contacts listed for EPA Region 6 and TCEQ.
