# RALPH LOWE & JOC OIL EXPLORATION (BRIO REFINERY NPL SITE)
> **Judicial** · FY1991 · — · Final Order With Specified Cost Recovery
## Case
- **Activity ID:** `35346`
- **Case Number:** 06-1991-0173
- **Type:** Judicial
- **Lead:** EPA
- **Outcome:** Final Order With Specified Cost Recovery
- **Penalty assessed:** —
- **Cost recovery:** $1.80M
- **Compliance action $:** —
- **Multimedia (multi-env):** N
## Defendants
- JOC OIL EXPLORATION (complaint) (settlement)
- RALPH LOWE (complaint) (settlement)
## Summary

*                                                            THE BRIO REFINING SITE IS LOCATED APPROX 20 MILES STHEAST    OF HOUSTON, TX, IN HARRIS COUNTY.  THE SITE OCCUPIES APPROX  58.1 ACRES.  PORTIONS OF THE SITE OCCUR BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH OF DIXIE FARM ROAD AND ARE DESIGNATED AS BRIO NORTH AND      BRIO SOUTH.  BRIO NORTH OCCUPIES 48.8 ACRES AND BRIO SOUTH   COVERS 93. ACRES.  THE SOUTHBEND SUBDIVISION BORDERS THE     BRIO PROPERTY TO THE NORTHWEST.                              *                                                            THERE ARE 1,757 DRUMS ON THE SITE, MOST OF WHICH WERE GEN-   ERATED DURING THE REMEDIAL AND SUPPLEMENTAL REMEDIAL INVESTI GATIONS.  THE MAJOR SOURCES OF POSSIBLE CONTAMINATION ARE    THE CLOSED IMPOUNDMENTS ON THE SITE AND THE CONTAMINATION    THESE PITS HAVE CAUSE TO THE SHALLOWEST GROUNDWATER          ACQUIFER.                                                    *                                                            THERE ARE APPROX 200,000 CUBIC YARDS OF CONTAMINATED PIT AND SUBSURFACE SOILS ON THE SITE, ASSOCIATED WITH 24 DIFFERENT   PITS.  BUT THE SITE INVESTIGATIONS INDICATED THAT THERE ARE  BETWEEN 500,000 AND 700,000 CUBIC YARDS OF SOILS WITH        MEASURABLE AMOUNTS OF CONTAMINATION.                         *                                                            1,2-DICHLOROETHANE HAD THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF ANY OF T HE VOLATILE ORGANICS DETECTED IN THE PIT SOILS, WHILE PHEN-  ATHRENE HAD THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATIO

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*Source: [EPA ECHO](https://echo.epa.gov/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*