Van der Horst USA Corporation

Overview

A chromium and iron electroplating facility ran on this 4-acre property in Terrell, Texas from the 1950s until it closed in December 2006. Plating operations left behind spent kerosene, treatment sludge, and chromium-laden wastewater. That waste contaminated soil, sediment, and groundwater through settling lagoons, underground sumps, vats, and drums. Surface water runoff carries contamination roughly 300 feet east to Frazier Creek, which flows into Cedar Creek Reservoir. Homes sit less than a quarter-mile southeast of the former facility. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 2010, which formally designates it as a priority for federally led cleanup.

EPA has identified 18 contaminants of concern at the site. They include volatile organic compounds such as benzene, trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, and vinyl chloride, as well as heavy metals including chromium and the more toxic chromium(VI). Other contaminants found in groundwater include naphthalene, chloroform, bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, fluoride, and several dichloroethane and dichloroethene compounds. Chromium(VI) was also found in soil, and chromium was detected in site sediment.

The site is divided into three operable units (OUs). OU1 covers groundwater and received a cleanup decision, called a Record of Decision, in September 2014. That decision calls for anaerobic bioremediation in place, excavation, offsite disposal, groundwater monitoring, sediment monitoring, and institutional controls. OU2 addresses source control and does not yet have a formal decision document. Early removal work in 2008 and 2009 addressed structural damage and excavated two lagoons. EPA completed the remedial investigation and feasibility study for groundwater between 2010 and 2014, and finished the second phase of remedial design in September 2023. Final groundwater remediation began in September 2022 and is estimated to finish between September and November 2028. Source control construction is estimated to be complete between August and October 2027. Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will support excavation and off-site disposal of contaminated soil and groundwater restoration work.

Current assessments show that human exposure to contaminants is under control, meaning no unacceptable exposure pathways exist right now. However, contaminated groundwater continues to migrate and is not yet stabilized. Physical construction of the cleanup is not complete across the full site, and a future risk assessment will evaluate whether remaining contamination poses ongoing or future risks.

Community members with questions about the cleanup can contact the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager. For state-related questions, contact the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).