The Pesses Chemical Co. site sits at 2301 South Main Street in Fort Worth, Texas. From 1979 to 1981, the facility reclaimed cadmium and nickel from dry-cell batteries and metal sludge. Furnace emissions containing metal oxides reached levels up to 2,900 percent above permit limits, and contaminated soils spread across the property. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in June 1986. The NPL is the federal government's list of the most serious hazardous waste sites in the country. EPA deleted the site from the NPL in September 1995 after cleanup work was finished.
Four metals are the main contaminants of concern: cadmium, copper, lead, and nickel. All four have been found in soil, sediment, groundwater, surface water, air, and other materials at the site. Cleanup focused primarily on contaminated soil. Workers removed 3,392 cubic yards of contaminated soil, sludge, and debris in 1983. The final remedy, selected in December 1988 and completed in September 1992, included decontaminating the warehouse, stabilizing contaminated soils in place, and covering them with an engineered cap. All former buildings were demolished by 2011. In 2007, institutional controls were added to the remedy through an Explanation of Significant Differences.
Today, a deed notice filed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) on September 27, 2012 restricts the property to commercial or industrial use only. The notice prohibits well drilling, removal or modification of the concrete cap, and any activity that could disturb the capped area. The City of Fort Worth has also zoned the site for heavy industrial use, which prevents residential development. TCEQ maintains the cap and site security through annual inspections and regular mowing. Operation and maintenance activities remain ongoing. The site achieved sitewide ready for anticipated reuse status in September 2012, meaning all cleanup goals for current and future land uses have been met with no unacceptable risks. EPA's Sixth Five Year Review, completed in June 2024, confirmed the site continues to protect human health and the environment.
Community members can review site documents at Shamblee Library, located at 1062 Evans Avenue in Fort Worth. The 2024 Five Year Review report and related materials are available there. For media inquiries, contact the EPA Press Office at (214) 665-2200. Community members can also contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager for questions about the site.
