The Houston Regional Group of the Sierra Club (Sierra Club) heard some great news!  The U.S. EPA (EPA) now has required the companies responsible for the San Jacinto River Waste Pits Superfund Site (SJRWPSS), International Paper Company and McGinnes Industrial Maintenance Corporation, a part of Waste Management, to fully clean-up the north waste pit at I-10 East/San Jacinto River.

The Sierra Club has been involved with the SJRWPSS clean-up process since 2009 (16 years).  The Sierra Club has supported the Texas Health and Environment Alliance/San Jacinto River Coalition for 10 years in their efforts to get those responsible for this Superfund Site to do the right thing.

Many residents have lived in this area decades longer than the Sierra Club has been involved with the clean-up process and have suffered via poor health due to this Superfund Site.  It’s way past time to implement this clean-up and fully remove dioxin and other toxic contaminants from our “Mother River”, the San Jacinto River, and clean-up Galveston Bay and make it safe to live in.  

EPA sent a letter on September 9, 2025 to the responsible parties which approved their clean-up plan with many additional stringent conditions to make sure that this Superfund Site is finally cleaned up.

The Sierra Club hasn’t supported leaving in the San Jacinto River contaminants that continue to leak and pollute fish, crabs, shrimp, and ecosystems in Galveston Bay and sent EPA a letter saying this in February 2025.

In that letter, the Sierra Club reminded EPA about the importance of open-bay bottoms (also riverine bottoms) ecologically.  It was important for EPA to recognize that the San Jacinto River serves as open-bay bottom habitat that is crucial for ecosystem function in Galveston Bay.  EPA has the responsibility to protect these open-bay bottoms of the San Jacinto River Estuary via the SJRWPSS clean-up and Galveston Bay National Estuary Program.

The Sierra Club supports U.S. EPA in implementation of a complete clean-up of the SJRWPSS.  We must ensure that this clean-up finally ends this toxic scourge to Houston, San Jacinto River, Highlands, Channelview, and Galveston Bay.

Photo by Emma Pabst.