Chrome-plating operations in the 1960s and 1970s left a roughly 20-acre plume of hexavalent chromium in the groundwater near Odessa, Texas. The Texas Water Commission found the contamination in a well in 1978. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in 1986, and cleanup work began in the mid-1980s. The site is divided into three operable units covering an area-wide water supply zone, a source area, and a groundwater zone.
Nine contaminants of concern have been identified. Chromium, nickel, and zinc appear in groundwater. Copper, lead, nickel, and zinc have also been found in buildings and structures on site. The primary driver of concern is hexavalent chromium in groundwater.
EPA and the state of Texas have carried out several rounds of cleanup. Early work extended municipal water lines to protect residents from contaminated drinking water, finishing construction in 1988. Groundwater extraction, treatment, and reinjection ran from 1992 to 2004. In-place soil and aquifer treatment began in 2002 and continues as needed, and it has effectively reduced chromium concentrations. Water supply lines were extended again starting in 2016 to reach additional residents. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) performs semi-annual groundwater sampling and handles ongoing operation and maintenance.
EPA's most recent five-year review, completed in September 2021, found the remedy protective of human health and the environment in the short term. Human exposure is currently under control, but groundwater migration has not been stabilized. Physical construction is complete across the site, but the site has not met all criteria for readiness for anticipated reuse. In June 2023, EPA awarded a contract for a Supplemental Remedial Investigation and Treatability Study. That work includes an updated drinking water survey, mapping of source-area soil contamination, installation of new monitoring wells to define the plume boundary, groundwater modeling, and a treatability study. Results will support a Record of Decision Amendment to guide future cleanup decisions. The next five-year review is estimated between September and November 2026.
Community members can review site records at the Ector County Library at 321 West Fifth Street in Odessa or at the Permian Basin Regional Planning Commission at 2910 Laforce Boulevard in Odessa. For questions, residents can contact the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator. For state-related questions, contact TCEQ.
