The Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) continue to oversee the remediation of impacted waterways in the area around the Sherwin-Williams Shiloh Road Plant fire response in Garland. Sherwin-Williams has begun flushing dechlorinated fresh water into waterways to reduce stagnation and return them to a more natural state.
This week, impacted waterways were determined to be safe for agricultural use again as analysis of water sampling data continues to show a decrease in contaminant concentrations and detections.
Regular air monitoring and water sampling of impacted waterways is taking place at 10 fixed locations beginning in Duck Creek and spanning 53 river miles into the Trinity River. The city of Garland has also confirmed that the city’s sanitation and sewer systems, as well as the city’s drinking water, remain unaffected.
For more information, please visit the EPA’s incident website. For questions regarding potential impacts, please contact garlandresponse@sherwin.com.
Information provided by city of Garland.
The city of Garland has partnered with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Sherwin-Williams to sample approximately 45 water miles of surrounding waterways following the Aug. 7 fire at the Sherwin-Williams Shiloh Road Plant. Water sampling results are still being analyzed and will be shared as soon at they’re available.
As of Friday afternoon, more than 700,000 gallons of potentially impacted water have been pumped out of surrounding waterways, filling approximately 30 tanks. Representatives have also begun contacting the homeowners of potentially impacted properties to request access for creek sampling. If you have questions regarding potential impacts to property, please contact garlandresponse@sherwin.com.
While no major impacts to public health have been identified at this time, the public is advised to not fish or have contact with potentially impacted waterways, which begin near the intersection of Shiloh and Miller Roads and extend to the East Fork Trinity River. Sanitation systems and city drinking water are being continuously monitored and have not been affected by the fire or cleanup efforts.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but cleanup efforts at the Sherwin-Williams Shiloh Road Plant continue to progress, including the removal of some hazardous materials, resulting in all lanes of Shiloh Road between Forest Lane and Miller Road being reopened. For more information, including a map of the impacted creeks, please visit the EPA’s incident website.