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Jul 1, 2001 12:00 PM

A former hazardous waste storage facility in Texas City TX that is leaking chromium and lead into Galveston Bay has been added to the list of the most toxic sites in the nation. The Malone Services Co facility provided hazardous waste storage, reclamation, and disposal services from 1964 until 1996.

On June 14, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) put the 150-acre Malone Services site on its Superfund list June 14. Getting on this list of the most hazardous toxic waste sites means that the EPA can begin cleanup at the site.

Acids, caustics, solvents, and oily wastes from the former Malone Services facility threaten the Galveston Bay estuary, which is a prime wildlife habitat that supports a range of commercial and recreational fishing, according to EPA. The wastes came from various industries. Besides storage and disposal, Malone Services provided hazardous waste transportation with a large fleet of vacuum trucks and trailers.

The Malone site listing was one of 10 additions to the Superfund list announced June 14 by EPA. The Superfund program now has 1,236 sites and 67 proposed for agency action. The combined 1,303 total includes 166 federal facilities. Only about 15% of the nation's Superfund sites have been cleaned and removed from the list since it was created two decades ago.