Years after Blue Star Recycling began unlawfully discarding and storing toxic materials in a southeast Dallas neighborhood, officials stated the City has completed soil remediation at Shingle Mountain.
“The work included the cleanup, soil removal, and restoration phase,” according to a news release.
The decrease of 40,000 cubic yards of toxic dirt happened only after resident Marsha Jackson sued Blue Star Recycling in March 2021 for improperly disposing of 100,000 tons of roofing shingles in violation of local and state law, The Dallas Express reported.
The site at 9527 S. Central Expy. became known as Shingle Mountain after the company dumped asphalt roof shingles there from January 2018 to May 2019.
Company and City officials have claimed Blue Star Recycling intended to use the shingles in pavement and asphalt materials. The Washington Post reported in February 2021 that two individuals schemed to discard the shingles on a road leading to the landfill. As more toxic materials amassed there,
Dallas officials did nothing, even after Jackson complained about health concerns, specifically particulate matter such as fiberglass that she attributed to breathing problems.
Between December 2020 and May 2021, as The Dallas Express has reported, all shingles were cleared from the site by a contractor hired by the City, which purchased the property in July 2021. The Washington Post reported the contractor was Quincy Roberts, a former resident of the neighborhood and trained operatic tenor who is a member of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra board of directors.
After acquiring the landfill, the City found that undocumented dumping had occurred at the site as far back as the 1970s, The Dallas Express has reported. Metal, brick, and concrete materials were found in the soil, and some areas were “confirmed to have lead levels above regulatory standards.” The contaminated soil has been disposed of at nearby McCommas Bluff Landfill, according to the City’s website. The City is also collecting samples from air monitoring stations.