PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT ADDENDUM
MOTCO, INCORPORATED
TEXAS CITY, GALVESTON COUNTY, TEXAS
The MOTCO National Priorities List (NPL) site is located in the
City of LaMarque, Galveston County, Texas. The contaminants of
concern consist of several volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and
semi-volatile organic compounds (semi-VOCs). Evidence of heavy
metal contamination was also noted. Areas of highest contaminant
concentration are in the subsurface soil, on-site pits, and
shallow ground water. Population exposure to this site is
limited due to location; those most likely to be exposed are
unprotected remedial workers and trespassers. Although these
groups might be exposed by skin contact with, ingestion of, or
inhalation of contaminated soil and pit waste, there is no
evidence that exposures to site contaminants are occurring.
Therefore, the site is currently classified as no public health
hazard. The site could pose a future a public health hazard if
not remediated, current site conditions change, or remediation
workers fail to follow personal protection guidelines. The
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
recommends that institutional controls be implemented to prevent
the installation of wells that draw water from the contaminated
shallow aquifers. ATSDR also recommends that additional surface
water and biota 
samples be taken in the Del Industries' pond.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has installed an
incinerator for on-site disposal of waste. A continuous
perimeter air monitoring system has also been installed to insure
that nearby residents are not exposed to site-related
contaminants. No air sample results, however, were available to
evaluate during the preparation of this Addendum.
The ATSDR Health Activities Recommendation Panel (HARP) and the Texas Department of Health (TDH) have evaluated the MOTCO site for appropriate follow-up with respect to health activities. Because there is no indication that human exposure to site contaminants at levels of public health concern is occurring or has occurred, this site is not being considered for follow-up health activities at this time. However, if emissions from the incineration process or other environmental data become available suggesting that human exposure to significant levels of hazardous substances is currently occurring or has occurred in the past, ATSDR and TDH will reevaluate this site for any indicated follow-up. In addition, TDH recommends community education to residents concerning the emissions from the incinerator pilot test.
To respond to community concerns and based on the HARP recommendations, the following actions have been or will be performed to meet the needs expressed by the Recommendations of this Health Assessment Addendum.
TDH in cooperation with the ATSDR will conduct the following public health actions:
A. Site Description and History
The MOTCO site is an NPL site located in the City of La Marque, Galveston County, Texas. The site covers 11.3 acres and is located near the junction of Interstate 45 and Texas Highway 3. It is bounded on the east by Texas Highway 3, on the northwest by an abandoned trailer park, and on the southwest by the right-of-way for the Houston Lighting and Power (HP&L) Company transmission lines. The site is fenced and has locked and monitored entrances.
The MOTCO National Priorities List (NPL) site was placed on the NPL in 1982. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) completed a Health Assessment, based on the existing data, for the site in 1984 (Appendix A). Additional environmental information for the site has been generated since the completion of the initial health assessment. In cooperation with ATSDR, the Environmental Epidemiology Program of the Texas Department of Health evaluated the new information and completed an addendum to the original health assessment. Data on the environmental and public health issues addressed in this report were obtained from the Endangerment Assessment (EA) and the Supplemental Feasibility Study Investigation (SFSI). (1,2)
Historical operations at the site include a facility in the late 1950's to recycle styrene tars generated by local industries and a petroleum salvage operation in 1961-1968.
MOTCO, Inc. purchased the site in 1974. Site operations involved the reclamation of creosote extenders, fuel, and solvent wastes at the site. In 1976, the Texas Department of Water Resources issued an enforcement order requiring MOTCO to secure the site and submit closure plans. MOTCO subsequently filed for bankruptcy and eventually abandoned the facility.
In 1980, the United States Coast Guard extended and raised the perimeter dikes, removed storage drums, and erected a six-foot fence around the site. In September 1981, March 1983, and September 1983, EPA conducted three emergency response actions for the treatment and discharge of pit surface waters. In 1985 and 1986, EPA removed storage tanks from the site disposing of them in an off-site certified landfill.
To expedite on-site waste-pit remediation, EPA chose, in 1983, to divide the remediation process into two components or operable units: the Source Control Operable Unit (SCOU) and the Management of Migration Unit (MOM).
The SCOU addresses actions taken within the fenced site boundaries to remediate surface contamination in the surface pond area (to one foot below the sludge-soil interface), tank farm area, and the adjacent perimeter area. The SCOU includes plans for the excavation of the eight on-site waste pits containing contaminated water and organic waste liquids. In March 1985, EPA chose incineration as the preferred remedial alternative for the Source Control Operable Unit.
Construction of an on-site incinerator and waste material handling facility began in early 1989. As part of the construction process for the material handling facility, the waste from Pit 1 was removed and the area enclosed. The test burn of the first incinerator was completed in October 1990 with the second test burn completed in July 1991.
The MOM unit is concerned with existing and potential off-site migration of chemicals from the MOTCO site following completion of SCOU clean-up work. Remediation plans will address off-site top soil and on- and off-site subsurface soil and ground water. The Record of Decision (ROD) for the MOM unit was signed in September 1989 and remediation will include pumping and treating the ground water, as well as excavation, consolidation and capping of the contaminated soils on site.
A Health Assessment for the MOTCO site was completed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and released on July 20, 1984. The Assessment, based on data available at the time, concluded that the site constitutes a significant potential public health threat. Furthermore, CDC advised that remediation should take place to reduce or eliminate the potential for exposure.
On May 16, 1990, Jean Brender, Judy Henry, and Michelle Kelly from the Texas Department of Health (TDH) in addition to representatives from EPA Region 6 and Galveston County Health Department (GCHD) met with officials from the MOTCO Trust Group and Metcalf and Eddy. A walking tour of the on-site area was conducted along with a visual survey of Omega Bay and Bayou Vista.
During physical inspection of the site it was noted that the entire site was fenced with locked and monitored entrances. On the day of the site visit, the two borrow pits located southwest of the site contained water. A borrow pit is a excavated area where material has been dug for use as fill in another location. It was also noted that the "Dispose-All" Company, east-southeast of the site and across State Highway 3 had been renamed "Del Industries". The primary physical hazard associated with on-site areas were the waste pits. At the time of the site visit, these were not fenced and little barrier existed between workers and entrance to the pits.
C. Demographics, Land Use, and Natural Resource Use
The MOTCO site is located approximately two miles southeast of the City of LaMarque, Galveston County, near the southeast coast of Texas. (See Appendix B for site location map.) The main industries in the area are oil and gas refining, petrochemical processing, and various types of manufacturing. The nearby economy is heavily influenced by ship channel activities. The estimated 1987 population of Galveston County is 209,274 persons, with the City of LaMarque accounting for 16,162 persons.
Situated on the Gulf coastal plain, at the edge of a coastal marsh system, the MOTCO site exists approximately two miles from Galveston Bay and 1.5 miles from the Jones Bay/Trinity-San Jacinto estuary. The facility is on an 11.3 acre tract of land. The elevation of the site is approximately 5 feet above mean sea level (MSL), placing it within the 100-year tidal flood plain. Two independent businesses, Central Freight Lines (truck terminal) and Del Industries, are located approximately 500 feet southeast of the site.
Two residential subdivisions, Omega Bay and Bayou Vista (population of 1,163), are located approximately 1500 feet west-southwest and 2000 feet south-southwest of MOTCO, respectively. The two subdivisions are physically separated from the MOTCO site by the Gulf Freeway. The nearest private residence not separated from the site by the freeway is approximately 2000 feet to the northwest of the site.
The area surrounding the MOTCO site is used primarily for industrial purposes. The nearby bay and estuary waters are used for commercial and sport fishing, recreation, and transportation.
D. State and Local Health Data
The GCHD officials were contacted about the availability of any health outcome data of residents living in the area of the MOTCO site. They reported no specific health outcome data for these residents.
Routinely collected live birth, death and fetal death certificate data are available both in the local and state health departments. These data bases are not accessible for cities less than 2500 people or for census tract. Therefore, vital statistics are not available for the Omega Bay and Bayou Vista subdivisions.
The TDH Cancer Registry Division collects incidence data for cancer in Texas through mandatory hospital reporting of cases. Incidence data are incomplete for TDH Region 4 in which the MOTCO site is located. Therefore, this data base was not used because the calculated incidence rates would underestimate the true incidence rates.
To adequately determine community health concerns relating to the MOTCO site, the Galveston County Health District Board received comments from area residents at a meeting held on May 30, 1990. The TDH Environmental Epidemiology staff made additional inquiries to the Texas Water Commission, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), and the University of Texas Medical School at Galveston, to determine any community health concerns. Issues surrounding on-site incineration comprise the majority of community concerns. Citizens were concerned with regulatory aspects of the incinerator, along with possible exposure to heavy metal contamination from incinerator emissions.
A local citizen's group (unnamed) proposed a health study which was to focus on biological monitoring (blood and urine) for metals in nearby residents and on-site workers, before, during, and after incineration of wastes takes place. The citizen's group approached both ATSDR and GCHD with the proposal. Upon review by ATSDR staff, the study could not be conducted because the proposal did not meet ATSDR's criteria for a health study. It was suggested that the citizen's group pursue other sources to fund the health study. TDH staff encouraged members of the group to maintain contact with TDH during site remediation.
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