A grain storage facility in Happy, Texas burned down in 1962 after an explosion. Firefighters used carbon tetrachloride to put out the fire, and that chemical seeped into the Ogallala Aquifer, a major regional water source. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in April 2009. The NPL is the federal government's roster of contaminated sites that need formal investigation and cleanup.
Four contaminants have been found in the groundwater: carbon tetrachloride, 1,2-dibromoethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, and chloroform. The carbon tetrachloride plume has spread into a surrounding area that includes grain storage operations, light industrial facilities, homes, a high school, and an elementary school, all within a quarter-mile of the original site. A contaminated city well has been closed, and homes that relied on private wells have been connected to the municipal water system. EPA assessments show human exposure is currently under control and no unacceptable exposure pathways exist. Groundwater migration is also stable and contained in its original area.
EPA selected pump-and-treat as the cleanup method in a Record of Decision issued on October 26, 2022. This approach uses extraction wells to pull contaminated water out of the ground, treats it through air stripping, and reinjects the cleaned water back into the aquifer. Hydraulic control keeps the plume from spreading further. Affected properties have also been connected to the municipal water supply. Institutional controls will be used alongside the physical cleanup. EPA conducted removal actions in April 2017 and again from February through June 2024. Remedial design work wrapped up in June 2024, and remedial action began in September 2024. Construction is expected to finish between June and August 2027, with long-term monitoring actions starting between August and October 2027. Funding comes from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. EPA's contractor is conducting semi-annual sampling of monitoring wells to track contamination levels while construction proceeds.
Community members can view site records at Happy High School in Happy, Texas, or at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Records Management Center in Austin. Available documents include the 2022 Record of Decision and a 2021 Proposed Plan. For direct questions, residents can contact EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager. For state-related questions, contact TCEQ.
