At the request of Union Pacific and local stakeholders, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) oversaw the most extensive testing and envir onmental assessment ever undertaken near the former Houston Wood Preserving Works site. Test results have consistently shown no immediate risk to human health.
With the data now in hand, a comprehensive Health Risk Assessment is underway and is expected to be released in 2026.
The EPA’s involvement over the past two years added an independent federal review alongside long-standing oversight by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
EPA’s Involvement
TCEQ has overseen work at and around the former site for years, including the review of sampling methods and monitoring activities. In 2023, at the request of Union Pacific and local stakeholders, the EPA agreed to oversee extensive testing at the site, including soil gas testing, soil sampling and storm sewer testing, with the data culminating in a Health Risk Assessment.
Roles in the review process
In the Fifth Ward, EPA and Union Pacific have distinct responsibilities:
- EPA’s role: Provide federal review, oversees sampling activities in the field, validates methods, and confirm findings using national standards.
- Union Pacific’s role: Collects data and shares results with homeowners who signed access agreements and will use the data to develop a formal Health Risk Assessment that will be reviewed by the EPA to determine next steps.
What Test Results show
Over the last several years, thousands of soil and groundwater samples have been collected from residential properties, public spaces and the former site. Across this body of testing, Test Results have shown no immediate health risk tied to current conditions. This conclusion aligns with patterns observed through years of monitoring conducted since Union Pacific assumed stewardship of the site in 1997.
The Health Risk Assessment
The Health Risk Assessment is an objective method for making decisions protective of human health. It is based on testing data collected in the neighborhoods and follows EPA’s guidance and the scientific literature to determine risk estimates.
We anticipate its release this year.