Petro-Chemical Systems, Inc. (Turtle Bayou)

Overview

Petro-Chemical Systems, Inc. operated in a rural area about 15 miles southeast of Liberty, Texas, dumping waste oils on County Road 126 and into unlined pits from before 1970 through the late 1970s. EPA listed the site on the National Priorities List in June 1986. The 500-plus acre property contains seven identified disposal areas and was subdivided into residential lots after 1974, requiring residents to be relocated during early cleanup work.

EPA identified 25 contaminants of concern across soil and groundwater at the site. At the Frontier Park Road area, soil contains benzene, naphthalene, toluene, xylene, and other organic compounds. At the main site, both soil and groundwater are affected by benzene, lead, naphthalene, xylene, and several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons including benzo(a)pyrene and chrysene.

The site is split into two operable units. Cleanup at Operable Unit 1 along County Road 126 included excavation and offsite disposal. Operable Unit 2 has gone through multiple remedy updates since 1991, adding approaches such as chemical oxidation, bioremediation, excavation, and monitored natural attenuation. Construction was completed across six of seven areas by 2008, and County Road 126 was resurfaced in 2010. The County took over operations and maintenance for that road through a 2011 agreement with EPA. Long-term response actions at one remaining area are expected to continue through approximately 2028. Lyondell Trustee and EPEC contractors carry out ongoing groundwater monitoring.

Human exposure is currently under control across the entire site, and contaminated groundwater is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. Physical construction is complete sitewide, but the site has not yet been deleted from the National Priorities List. Institutional controls restrict land use to non-residential purposes. Access to disposal areas is managed through fencing, gates, signs, and cable guards. One responsible party purchased residential properties and groundwater rights to prevent future residential development. The most recent five-year review was conducted in September 2021.

Community members with questions can contact EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator Janetta Coats by email or phone. The EPA Remedial Project Manager is Laura Hunt, also reachable by email or phone. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has two contacts: Site Project Manager Abigail Wickham and Site Community Relations Liaison John Flores. Site records are available for public review at the Liberty Municipal Library in Liberty, Texas, and at the TCEQ Records Management Center in Austin.