The former Big Tex Grain Site is located on a 7.5-acre lot in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, at 328 Blue Star Road. The geographic center of the site is located at Latitude 29.405° North Longitude -98.492° West.
The Big Tex Grain Site has historically been associated with industrial activity, including operating a vermiculite exfoliation plant, grain production, and sawdust warehousing. The EPA Region 6 office performed an assessment of the subject property to determine potential impact to human health and the environment based on the transporting of vermiculite from Libby, Montana, to the W. R. Grace vermiculite exfoliation plant in San Antonio, Texas. The property has been listed in the EPA CERCLIS database since 2000.
The site consists of approximately 31 structures including the Big Tex grain elevators and warehouses on the eastern portion of the property. To the north-northwest of the site, there are numerous grain silos that were converted into office spaces. The site is bounded to the south and west by Union Pacific railroad tracks and to the north and east by the San Antonio River. The site is secured by a chain link and barbwire fence extending around the entire perimeter of the facility. Within the facility exposed soil areas are heavily vegetated, but still accessible. The Big Tex Grain Site is scheduled to be developed into a “Mixed Use” facility.
On 11/05/2008, USEPA, START, and ERRS contractors mobilized to the site to begin removal operations at the site. A site command post and a Public Relations trailer were set up. EPA OSC conducted a public meeting to discuss assessment results and upcoming removal actions. START set up real time air quality monitors on the perimeter of site operations to insure that no particulates were migrating off site and into the adjacent neighborhoods.
On 11/11/2008, excavation operations began. Predetermined grids will be excavated to a depth of six inches. The adjacent grids to the excavation grid will be sampled and analyzed for the presence of asbestos and/or vermiculite by an on site microscopist. If either asbestos or vermiculite is found the adjacent grid will be excavated and disposed of. During all removal operations constant dust suppression activities are in place to insure that there is no offsite migration.
Removal operations will continue until 11/25/2008, at that time the site will close for the Thanksgiving holiday. Site operations will resume 11/29/2008. Throughout all removal activities, EPA will provide the local resident and the media with updated removal progress maps and air monitoring results.
Removal operations will continue throughout the site. Once operations begin to take place around the former process area, the buildings scheduled to be cleaned out will be sealed up to insure that external removal operations will not further impact the structures in question. Upon completion of grid excavations, the removal crew will power wash the two buildings determined to have unacceptable levels of asbestos. That water will be collected and filtered. The remaining water will be tested and discharged into a municipal sewer.
The main issue regarding removal operations at the site is the suppression of all dust during removal activities. A power washers and a water truck will be constantly utilized to knock down dust. During the removal phase, START will continue particulate monitoring at the removal locations, as well as perimeter and off site particulate monitoring.
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