OSWER/OSRTI 

Washington, DC 20460 

NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST (NPL) 

***Proposed Site*** September 2011 

US OIL RECOVERY Pasadena, Texas 

Harris County 

 Site Location: 

The US Oil Recovery (USOR) site consists of two separate parcels, USOR and MCC Recycling (MCC), located at 400 and 

200 N. Richey Street in Pasadena, Harris County, Texas. The USOR parcel contains a centralized wastewater treatment 

plant (WWTP) that receives and treats oily waste, sludge and organic chemical-bearing wastes. The MCC parcel contains 

an industrial wastewater treatment plant that is connected to the USOR property via a six-inch diameter pipeline. The 

pipeline transferred waste oils from the USOR parcel to the MCC parcel for treatment. The USOR parcel is approximately 

12.2 acres and the MCC parcel is approximately 4.70 acres in size. 

 Site History: 

The site is an inactive used oil processor and wastewater treatment property. The USOR waste treatment operations began 

in 2002 and the wastewater treatment operations began in 2009 when MCC became a subsidiary of USOR. As part of the 

operations at the site, USOR processed non-hazardous landfill leachate, contaminated storm water, wastewater generated 

from industrial and non-industrial interceptor traps, Class I and Class II industrial waste, characteristically hazardous waste, 

used oil and oily sludges and municipal solid waste. Once accepted, the wastes were treated by de-watering via reclamation 

of recyclable materials through neutralization of acidic or caustic characteristics and/or by removal of solid materials in the 

waste through screening, clarification and biological activity. After treatment by USOR, the effluent (an oily water mixture) 

was piped via pipeline to the industrial wastewater treatment plant (MCC) located approximately 0.25 mile to the southeast 

of the waste treatment operations for further treatment and eventual discharge to the City of Pasadena wastewater treatment 

plant. 

 Site Contamination/Contaminants: 

Wastes are still onsite. They include a variety of volatile organics, metals and mercury. Arsenic, barium, cobalt, manganese, 

mercury, silver and vanadium were present in on-site sources, along the overland flow segment and within the sediments of 

Vince Bayou. Other contaminants of concern onsite include acetone, benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, methyl ethyl ketone 

and naphthalene and bis-2ethyl-hexyl phthalate. 

 Potential Impacts on Surrounding Community/Environment: 

Observed releases of arsenic, barium, cobalt, manganese, mercury, silver and vanadium has been documented in both 

surface water and sediment within Vince Bayou. This contamination threatens a fishery and wetlands. 

 Response Activities (to date): 

Since July 2, 2010, EPA has responded to three incidents at the site during significant rain events. Response actions to date 

have consisted of site stabilization. 

 Need for NPL Listing: 

The State of Texas referred the site to EPA for NPL listing and potential remedial activities. Onsite waste streams are in 

direct contact with the bayou during extreme rain events. Fishing for human consumption has been observed in Vince 

Bayou at the bridge near the site. Other federal and state cleanup programs were evaluated but are not viable at this time. 

[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was evaluated with the HRS. The description may change 

as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination.] 

For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these 

substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet 

at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.