The Environmental Protection Agency has announced that a dangerous leak is a threat to Texas residents after Hurricane Harvey flooded the San Jacinto waste pits. The site was known to house buried barrels of waste from an old Pasadena paper plant. The pits are located along Interstate 10 between Channelview and Highlands in eastern Harris County and pose a serious threat to humans, wildlife and the local ecosystems.
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Among the toxic waste is a high poisonous chemical compound called Dioxin which can cause major illness in humans. The Harris County Attorney's Office has now filed several lawsuits pertaining to the toxic leaks stemming from the flooded pits. The EPA confirmed the presence of the toxin after taking samples from 14 areas, one of which showed the protection cap had been damaged and the waste underneath has been allowed to escape and seep into area. The sample that tested positive for Dioxin shows levels of 70,000 nanograms, more than double the EPA recommended cleanup level.
The EPA is demanding that the responsible parties take immediate action to minimize the further spread of the dangerous chemical at the site that tested positive. Further more, Dioxin is capable of seeping into the food chain through fish, but that didn't stop locals from continuing to fish in the area.
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