At least 13 toxic waste sites in Texas were flooded or damaged by Hurricane Harvey, adding to the challenges as the state and the region begin cleanup efforts following the deadly storm. The Environmental Protection Agency announced Saturday that it had assessed 41 Superfund sites using aerial images, and determined the ones badly affected by the storm.
The impact of flooding on the sites is unknown. The EPA said its workers have not been able to “safely access the sites” but are ready to do so as soon as the floodwaters recede.
A Superfund site is land that is contaminated by hazardous waste and identified by the EPA as a candidate for cleanup because it poses a risk to human health and/or the environment. The 13 affected sites have industrial waste from petrochemical companies, acid compounds, solvents and pesticides.
In the Houston area, authorities had said it would take 10-15 days for floodwaters to recede.
More Challenges
The toxic waste sites are not the first environmental threat Texas has faced since Harvey swept through the region.
Fires broke out over two days at a flooded chemical plant near Houston.
People living within 1.5 miles from the Arkema site in Crosby were evacuated days before the explosions and now officials are letting chemical containers catch fire and burn out rather than endanger firefighters, the EPA and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said in a joint statement.
The Superfund sites and the Arkema plant represent just a snapshot of the cascading effects of the catastrophic storm.
To read the full story, visit http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/03/us/houston-texas-flood-aftermath/index.html.