HOUSTON — After years of delays and mounting concerns from residents living along the San Jacinto River, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered companies tied to the San Jacinto River Waste Pits Superfund Site to move forward with cleanup efforts many in the community say are long overdue.
The EPA issued the order on April 28, requiring International Paper and Waste Management subsidiary McGinnes Industrial Maintenance Corporation to carry out cleanup work at the site near the San Jacinto River in east Harris County.
The site has long raised concerns among nearby residents and environmental advocates, who say contamination issues date back decades. According to the EPA, toxic waste tied to paper mill operations was abandoned near the river in the 1960s.
Community members, advocates and local leaders gathered Wednesday inside the San Jacinto Community Center in Highlands following the announcement…