Houston approves plastics recycler's permit as state reviews groundwater contamination at site

The Houston City Council voted unanimously Thursday to grant Alaska Plastic Recovery a conditional use permit to process plastics at a gravel pit at 11809 West Parks Highway. The company's own consultant had found petroleum contamination in groundwater there, and the state is reviewing the findings. Neighbors had asked the council to wait until fire and water risks were settled.

A consultant with Three Tier Alaska told the council that groundwater from two of three wells exceeded state cleanup levels for diesel-range organics. The highest reading was 3.9 milligrams per liter. The cleanup level is 1.5. Residual-range organics, the heavier oils and greases, reached 7.15 milligrams per liter. Their cleanup level is 1.1. The tests found no PFAS chemicals or volatile organic compounds, he said. The high readings came from the first of two sampling rounds, which the consultant said gave the more accurate results. He said the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation is moving the case from its spills division to its Contaminated Sites Program.

Owner Patrick Simpson said soil samples taken near stored plastic came back below state levels. He said groundwater flows south-southwest, away from the neighborhood. The contamination "was actually coming from further upstream somewhere above us," Simpson said. The consultant said he does not know the source. Simpson said state law required him to report the findings. He plans to keep permanent monitoring wells at two or more locations for five years.

Sean Darnell, who lives within 1,000 feet of the site, cited the safety data sheets for the plastics, which he said call for dry chemical, water fog or foam on a fire and warn that a solid stream of water could spread it. He asked the council to deny the permit until the state finishes its investigation.

Tony Woolers, who lives next to the pit, said the contaminated groundwater flows toward his property. He said he is waiting on results from new tests of his well and expects them to show the same chemicals.

The city fire chief said the department has its own resources, the Mat-Su Borough has significant resources and foam can be replenished if needed, though a plastics fire would take a lot of it. He said residents near a burning-plastics fire are typically told to evacuate or shelter at home. Several recycling volunteers and the director of a valley recycling nonprofit spoke for the permit.

Later in the meeting, Councilmember Kent Mitchell thanked Simpson for the evidence he provided and said "some of the comments can be invalidated with proof." Mayor Carter Cole, who had asked whether the borough was notified because a school is nearby, said he will call the state and the borough. The consultant said the state will likely require long-term monitoring wells. Those results would go into the public contaminated sites database.