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The Environmental Protection Agency released its first set of test results Thursday on the Union Pacific rail yard contamination in Greater Fifth Ward and found nearly 8 percent of tested locations exceeded the EPA’s screening levels for Creosote-related chemicals.
Of the first 51 locations tested, investigators from the EPA and Union Pacific found elevated levels of chemicals in a sanitary sewer, a storm sewer, a monitoring well and a spot where specialists studied the soil. These tested locations were west, east and north of the old rail-yard.
In one case, Naphthalene, a probable carcinogen that has been shown to cause larynx and intestine cancer, was found to be as much as 27 times higher than EPA’s levels in water. The EPA results also found this chemical was 6 times higher in the soil gas, or air beneath the ground.
“The results include data from samples of soil gas, groundwater, and sewers taken at 117 locations on public rights-of-way and at private properties,” said the EPA in a statement. “Addresses and other identifying information relating to private properties are not disclosed to protect the privacy of the owners.
All published data has been reviewed and finalized for accuracy and quality, said the EPA.
Why is the EPA testing for chemicals in Greater Fifth Ward?
The EPA, along with Union Pacific, have been testing the groundwater, soil and sewers in the Greater Fifth Ward since November. This is because for decades, the contaminated rail-yard site, which is located in the still-operating railroad in Greater Fifth Ward, was used by Southern Pacific Railroad for wood preservation.
From 1899 to 1984, workers at the site used Creosote, a tarry substance derived from coal and wood, to coat railroad ties. Creosote contains several known carcinogens. Over time, these chemicals leached underground and spread out into the community, creating a groundwater plume of contamination under residential homes north of the property.
Southern Pacific merged with Union Pacific in 1997.
In 2019, the state designated the Greater Fifth Ward area, along with Kashmere Gardens and Denver Harbor, a cancer cluster – meaning a higher-than-average rate of cancer cases.
In a statement sent out Thursday night about the results, Toni Harrison, spokesperson and community liaison for Union Pacific, said transparency and ongoing communication with the public remain paramount as they follow the EPA’s approved testing protocols.
“We will continue working closely with regulators and subject-matter experts as we prepare to conduct the next, most extensive, phase of testing in the Fifth Ward to date,” she said.
Which chemicals exceeded EPA screening levels?
Other Creosote-related chemicals of concern – also known as PCOCs – that exceeded the EPA’s screening levels were Benzene, Ethylbenzene and Xylenes. Ethylbenzene, another probable cancerous Creosote chemical, was 10 times higher than the EPA level for groundwater.
Detecting Creosote-related chemicals in the soil and water is just the first step in a longer EPA process. Now, according to the EPA, the agency will have to determine if these locations with higher levels of PCOCs are directly related to the rail-yard operations.
The EPA says this evaluation goes through “multiple lines of evidence approach” – or through the agency's own calculations. If there is property within 100 feet of the contamination, the EPA and Union Pacific will conduct more testing.
In the case of the sanitary sewer, investigators will inspect the plumbing in nearby homes.
“It’s hard to tell exactly what these results mean for the community because we don’t know the exact locations where the chemicals were found,” said Amy Dinn, attorney with Lone Star Legal Aid. “The takeaway is that there are contaminants related to creosote. This confirms, as expected, that the creosote chemicals are at levels that exceed what’s normal.”
Another 66 results are pending evaluation from the EPA and Union Pacific. These results are expected to be released “when available,” according to the EPA. More sampling will also be conducted this summer to test how Houston’s warmer weather will affect the soil vapor.
The EPA staff will host a community meeting in late April to go over the data published Thursday and throughout the month. In a statement, the agency said this will conclude graphics and other materials that will help communicate the sampling results.
“Next steps will largely depend on the exact locations and whether [the chemicals] are in the homes or not,” Dinn. “This is about the health risk.”
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