Brio Refining, Inc. operated a chemical reprocessing and refining facility on a 58-acre site in Harris County, Texas, from the 1950s until 1982. Disposal practices at the site contaminated groundwater, surface soils, and subsurface soils with hazardous chemicals. The site was added to the National Priorities List (NPL), the federal list of the most serious contaminated sites, on March 31, 1989, after an initial assessment in 1983.
Contaminants of concern include chlorinated solvents such as 1,1,2-trichloroethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, vinyl chloride, and dichloromethane. Additional contaminants include 1,1-dichloroethene, bis(2-chloroethyl)ether, ethylbenzene, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons including anthracene, fluoranthene, phenanthrene, and pyrene. These chemicals were found in groundwater, surface water, soil, and free-phase nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) across the site.
EPA selected an initial cleanup remedy in 1988 that called for incineration and groundwater treatment. A 1997 amendment replaced incineration with a containment approach. That amended remedy includes a vertical barrier wall, a multi-layer cap, groundwater flow controls, and long-term air and groundwater monitoring. Construction of these controls finished in April 2004. The barrier wall and groundwater system keep contaminated groundwater contained beneath the site and prevent it from discharging into surface water. The cap reduces direct contact with residual wastes. EPA deleted the site from the NPL in December 2006.
The site is currently in the operation and maintenance phase under EPA oversight. A Five-Year Review completed in August 2023 found the site is protective of human health and the environment in the short term. However, the review identified a remedy performance issue: the full extent of contaminants in the Fifty-Foot Sand Zone in the southern part of the site has not been fully mapped, and cleanup goals for that zone have not yet been achieved. The next five-year review is estimated between August and October 2028. The site is currently suitable for non-residential use, as long as any future activity does not disturb the cap.
Community members who want to learn more can read the 2023 Five-Year Review Report online or view a copy at the Parker Williams Library on the San Jacinto College South Campus, 13735 Beamer Road, Houston, TX 77089. For repository questions, call (832) 927-7870. For general site questions, contact EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Managers. Media inquiries go to the EPA Press Office at (214) 665-2200.
