Bailey Waste Disposal covers 280 acres near Bridge City, Texas, on land that was originally a tidal marsh close to the Neches River and Sabine Lake. Starting in the early 1950s, the property owner dredged the marsh to create two ponds, and industrial and municipal waste was disposed of on part of the site through the 1960s and into 1971. The EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in June 1986, and cleanup work has since been completed. The site was formally removed from the list in October 2007.
Contaminants found across the site include arsenic, chromium, ethylbenzene, lead, organics, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), styrene, and zinc. These chemicals were detected in sediment and solid waste. Groundwater, surface water, and soil were all affected by past disposal activities.
The cleanup focused on a single operable unit covering the entire site. Key actions included consolidating contaminated sediment, stabilizing waste in place, capping waste with lightweight engineered covers, building a wastewater treatment plant, and installing stormwater controls. Some waste was also removed off site. Over 156,000 cubic yards of hazardous materials were addressed through federal, state, and responsible party actions. Remedial construction ran from February 1992 through May 1998, and potentially responsible parties completed their work by 1997. The cleanup protected nearby wetlands and made them safe for wildlife and recreational use.
Human exposure is under control, and groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. Institutional controls, including zoning restrictions, are in place to prevent residential development and other incompatible land uses. About 7,600 people within three miles of the site use wells for drinking water. The EPA's most recent five-year review, completed in September 2025, found the site protective of human health and the environment in the short term. Three actions are still needed for long-term protection: documenting institutional control requirements in a decision document, finalizing restrictive covenants for site properties, and investigating whether vapors from the ground can enter on-site buildings. The Bailey Site Settlers Committee performs annual soil sampling and ongoing operations and maintenance at the site.
Community members can review site documents at the Marion and Ed Hughes Public Library at 2712 Nederland Avenue in Nederland, Texas, or the Orange Public Library at 220 North 5th Street in Orange, Texas. The full Five-Year Review Report is also available online. For questions, residents can contact the EPA staff assigned to the site or the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
