Harris (Farley Street)

Overview

The Harris (Farley Street) site is a 2-acre former landfill in Houston, Texas. Between 1958 and the early 1960s, a transporter dumped more than 550 tons of industrial chemical waste into two trenches there. The liquids and sludges came from local chemical industries and contaminated the soil. A thin layer of soil was placed over the disposal area in 1959, but the buried waste turned up again during later construction work, including a swimming pool project in 1961.

The main contaminant identified at the site is nitrate/nitrite, found in soil in Operable Unit 1 (OU1). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined it posed an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment based on the amount present and the potential effects of exposure. No contaminated groundwater concern was identified at this site.

The EPA selected a cleanup remedy in September 1985. Workers excavated all contaminated soil and sent it off-site for disposal. That remedial action was finished in July 1986. Because excavation removed the entire contamination source, groundwater monitoring was not required. No ongoing operational or institutional controls were considered necessary. The EPA deleted the site from the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in April 1988. The site achieved "sitewide ready for anticipated reuse" status on September 21, 2007, meaning all cleanup goals for current and future land uses have been met and no unacceptable risks remain.

Human exposure is currently under control. There are no unacceptable pathways for people to contact contamination, and physical construction of the cleanup is complete across the entire site. The site participates in the EPA's Superfund Redevelopment Program, which helps communities return cleaned-up properties to productive economic and social use.

Community members with questions can reach the EPA Remedial Project Manager, Stephen Pereira, by phone or email. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) also has a project manager assigned to the site and is available for questions.