The Fifth Ward/Kashmere Gardens UPRR Site (also called the UPRR Houston Wood Preserving Works Site) is located within the Greater Fifth Ward in the city of Houston, south of the Kashmere Gardens neighborhood and east of Denver Harbor. Formerly owned and operated by Southern Pacific Railroad, the Site ceased operating as a wood treating facility in 1984. It was acquired by UPRR in 1997 through a merger with Southern Pacific. Contamination associated with the former wood treating operations has been identified both on- and off-site, including creosote contamination in groundwater. The
groundwater investigation and cleanup are being addressed under the TCEQ
permit, and groundwater is not used as a drinking water source for the
surrounding community.
The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an Administrative Settlement
Agreement and Order on Consent (AOC) with Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR). The
consent order compels UPRR to investigate and evaluate potential contamination
in and around the former wood preserving facility in the Greater Fifth Ward
area of Houston, Texas. UPRR will conduct the investigation and evaluation and
EPA will oversee their work. The field work is expected to begin in early
Spring 2023.
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