Date: June 14, 2001
Subject: Sunrise Polypropylene Release
Houston, Harris County, Texas
From: Jim Mullins, OSC, U.S. EPA, Region 6 (214-665-2273)
To: Director, OERR
Charles A. Gazda, RPB, EPA Region 6
Event: CERCLA Response
Site ID Nos.: NRC 569376
Start Date: June 13, 2001
Demobilization Date: June 13, 2001
Site Type: Polypropylene Release
Site Latitude/Longitude: 29 50 39.3 N / 95 11 34.9 W
On June 13, 2001, a local resident of Northeast Houston, Texas reported suspicious activity, i.e. vacuum trucks and tankers with hazardous placards driving through a residential neighborhood to the National Response Center (Report #569376). EPA mobilized the Superfund Technical Assistance and Response Team II (START II) contractor to gather information. START met with local resident and was provided directions to the suspect property. START interviewed the Owner and Director of Operations of Sunrise Plastic Enterprise, Inc. (Sunrise Plastic), a plastics operation that temporarily stores finished polypropylene (pellet form) inside their warehouses to ship the polypropylene (only product stored in warehouse) overseas. The potentially responsible party (PRP), Sunrise Plastic stated that approximately 40,000 lbs of polypropylene was stored inside the warehouse at the time of the flood event (June 9, 2001) and an estimated a loss of 10,000 lbs flowed southeast about 200 yards into a nearby ditch. START conducted photo-documentation and visually inspected upstream and downstream areas of the release. START observed that the release appeared to be contained within the compounds of the plastics property. The PRP resources include one vacuum truck, hard boom, and several employees to collect the polypropylene in the ditch and it's banks. The PRP stated that they believe they have enough resources to properly clean-up the ditch. START departed the site and explained the incident to the concerned local citizen.
case close no future action proposed for this site.
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