{"id":215,"date":"2026-05-07T08:36:53","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T08:36:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=215"},"modified":"2026-05-07T08:36:53","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T08:36:53","slug":"epa-issues-final-mandate-for-san-jacinto-river-waste-pits-cleanup-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=215","title":{"rendered":"EPA issues final mandate for San Jacinto River Waste Pits cleanup"},"content":{"rendered":"
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HARRIS COUNTY, Texas<\/strong> – <\/span>A decades-long battle for environmental justice reached a critical turning point as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final legal mandate forcing the cleanup of the San Jacinto River Waste Pits.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read more 1986 cold case: Man arrested for 16-year-old\u2019s murder in Conroe after DNA testing<\/a><\/p>\n

After years of community outcry and delays, the order signals the beginning of the end for one of Texas\u2019 most notorious Superfund sites.<\/p>\n

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The Legal Mandate<\/h2>\n

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What we know:<\/p>\n

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On April 28, 2026, EPA Region 6 Administrator Scott Mason signed a Unilateral Administrative Order (UAO).\u00a0<\/p>\n

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This legally binding document requires International Paper Company and McGinnes Industrial Maintenance Corporation (a subsidiary of Waste Management) to excavate and remove dioxin-contaminated material from the river. \u00a0<\/p>\n

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The companies have a 10-day window to respond to the order, with the deadline falling to this Friday. If they fail to comply, they face severe penalties, including fines of up to $71,545 per day.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Waste buried 30 feet deep<\/h2>\n

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By the numbers:<\/p>\n

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Recent sampling led by Jackie Young Medcalf of the Texas Health and Environment Alliance (THEA) has revealed that the scope of the contamination is much larger than previously estimated.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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New data shows toxic dioxin waste is buried 30 feet deep in the river sediments. \u00a0<\/p>\n

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This discovery has drastically changed the logistics of the project:<\/p>\n

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