From Shingle Mountain to clean slate: City of Dallas digs deep to erase hazardous legacy
Dallas, Texas – In a significant environmental remediation effort, the City of Dallas has initiated an elaborate operation to excavate an estimated 40,000 cubic yards of soil tainted with lead from a site in Southern Dallas, colloquially recognized as “Shingle Mountain.”
City of Dallas will pay $1.5 million in addition to $1.5 million already invested for the project
This task is both labor-intensive and financially demanding, constituting an added expenditure of $1.5 million atop an identical sum previously allocated for the neutralization of the six-story, hazardous waste mound.
Mayor Pro Tem Tennel Atkins disclosed that this additional financial commitment was essential to not merely extract the polluted soil but also to replace it with uncontaminated earth.
According to city officials, the onus of this environmental debacle primarily falls upon Blue Star Recycling, the property’s former owner. Accused of violating both local and state regulations, the company allegedly deposited 100,000 tons of asphalt-shingle material within a designated floodplain, an action that flies in the face of environmental guidelines.
Things got more complicated when Dallas city officials learned about lead contamination
However, in the course of rectifying Blue Star Recycling’s transgressions, municipal authorities unearthed another, even more disquieting issue—lead-contaminated fill beneath the towering shingle heap. Atkins revealed that this problem has antecedent roots, dating back to as far as the 1970s.
In a noteworthy acknowledgment, Atkins extolled Marsha Jackson, a resident in proximity to the beleaguered site, for her role in bringing this urgent matter to the city’s attention.
“Look at God. If you see tears down my eyes because you don’t know what I’ve gone through,” Jackson said.
Expanding upon the intricacies of the forthcoming environmental cleanup operation, Mayor Pro Tem Tennel Atkins divulged that the extracted lead-contaminated soil is slated for relocation to the proximate McCommas Bluff Landfill. Conscious of the potential air quality implications arising from the dispersion of particulate matter, Atkins assured that monitoring will be in place throughout the endeavor.
“We are going to make sure it will be safe during the cleanup. Trucks will be covered coming in and out. Dirt will not be flying in the street,” he said.
City of Dallas will closely monitor both the air and water quality amid the remediation process
In addition to aerial considerations, the city has conducted rigorous analyses to assess the contamination’s impact on groundwater. This multi-faceted approach illustrates the city’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding both the air and water quality amid the remediation process.
In a separate but related development, State Representative Toni Rose (D-Dallas) bestowed an award for “Outstanding Texan” upon Marsha Jackson, the vigilant local resident who initially spotlighted the issue.
“This became a national issue with documentaries all because of her diligence,” she said.
As for the timeline of this complex task, Atkins forecasts that the cleanup will reach its conclusion by the close of October. Moreover, the land is expected to meet residential quality standards upon completion, symbolizing a significant milestone in the city’s environmental restoration endeavors. However, the future utilization of this rehabilitated property still hangs in the balance, a testament to the complexities associated with long-term environmental stewardship and urban planning.
