Union Pacific Railroad is withdrawing 22 appeals related to the former Houston Wood Preserving Works site on Tuesday, Aug. 23. Union Pacific’s motions are limited to the property-damage claims and do not seek to dismiss any pending personal-injury claims.
Union Pacific inherited the contamination at the Houston Wood Preserving Works site, and it took responsibility for remediation when it merged with Southern Pacific Rail Co. – 13 years after the facility closed in 1984.
The company is dedicated to swift action as an active community partner and eager to continue aggressive site remediation, while defending itself in court. The steps Union Pacific is now taking in the appellate courts are consistent with those goals.
Union Pacific is pursuing remediation efforts under the oversight of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). The company has already implemented a series of actions to address contamination and plans further remediation measures under a permit renewal pending before the TCEQ.
More details can be found at houstonwoodpreservingworks.com.