The Many Diversified Interests, Inc. site sits at 3617 Baer Street in Houston, Texas. From 1926 onward, Texas Electric Steel Casting Company ran metal casting foundries there, making specialty molded parts for industrial use. Air emissions from those foundries deposited lead particles into on-site and nearby residential soils. Both foundry buildings were demolished between 1995 and 1996. EPA placed the site on the National Priorities List in January 1999.
Contaminants of concern include lead, benzo[a]pyrene, manganese, molybdenum, and total petroleum hydrocarbons. Lead is found in soil across on-site, off-site, and crawlspace areas. The groundwater contaminants, including benzo[a]pyrene and total petroleum hydrocarbons, are being addressed through monitored natural attenuation. As of April 2025, concentrations of those substances are declining and have met cleanup goals in two of three plume management zones, though more monitoring is needed to confirm lasting progress. A restrictive covenant filed in May 2010 prohibits any use of contaminated groundwater until concentrations fall below protective levels.
Cleanup has been organized into three operable units covering on-site and off-site soils and groundwater, off-site residential yards, and residential crawlspaces. Between 1998 and 2003, crews removed lead-contaminated soil from 89 residential properties, excavating roughly 12,025 tons of soil. Additional removal work between 2005 and 2009 covered 61 more residential properties, two high-access areas, and parts of the Kelly Village Housing Complex. EPA's 2023 Five-Year Review confirmed the site is protective of human health and the environment in the short term. To maintain long-term protectiveness, EPA must pursue access agreements at previously declined locations, evaluate rising benzo[a]pyrene levels in one monitoring well, assess arsenic exceedances in other wells, and apply improved detection methods for petroleum hydrocarbons. Physical construction at the site is complete, and the site is considered sitewide ready for anticipated reuse.
New work is coming. In October 2025, EPA lowered its recommended lead screening level in residential soil from 400 parts per million to 200 parts per million. Because of that change, EPA will re-evaluate lead contamination at more residential properties near the site. A background study collecting soil samples from 60 randomly selected properties in the Greater Fifth Ward and Denver Harbor/Port Houston Area is planned. A Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study contract is expected to be awarded in summer 2026, with residential soil sampling set to begin in spring 2027. Additional cleanup work on off-site residential areas and crawlspaces is estimated to start between June and August 2026, and another five-year review is anticipated between July and September 2028.
Community members can review site records at the Tuttle Neighborhood Library at 702 Kress Street in Houston. For questions, contact the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager. For state-related questions, contact the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
