Texas Instruments is committed to environmental stewardship. This fact sheet outlines our environmental activities at the North Campus Facility.
Texas Instruments North Campus Facility is located on the northeast corner of U.S. Highway 75 (Central Expressway) and Interstate Highway 635 (LBJ) in Dallas. The property encompasses approximately 300 acres. The company has manufactured semiconductors — devices that make electronics equipment work — at the facility since about 1958.
Texas Instruments (TI) historically used cleaning solvents at this site to clean parts during manufacturing operations. These compounds are commonly used by businesses throughout the world and were historically used as ingredients in many household products and can still be found in commercial cleaning products.
Accidental leaks occurred in some areas where TI historically used or stored solvents, which resulted in some solvents entering shallow soil and groundwater. Solvents entering groundwater is not an issue unique to Texas Instruments. Manufacturing facilities around the world are addressing these same issues and while many advances have been made, cleanup of affected groundwater often takes years to accomplish.TI's first discovery of such impacts was in connection with some construction activity. The company promptly reported its findings to Texas environmental regulators.
After this discovery, as with several subsequent discoveries, TI took proper actions to:
- Drain and remove pipes and tanks where needed.
- Evaluate surrounding soils and areas of contamination and remove or remediate, as appropriate.
After these actions were completed, the remaining solvent levels in the groundwater were low. Since the discovery, TI has invested in new chemical management systems that are better equipped to safely handle, store and transport chemicals and prevent accidental leaks and spills. These include above-ground tanks with robust spill control, above-ground lines for transporting chemicals that are double-contained where needed, and level-sensing devices to prevent overfill. Where possible, more environmentally- friendly chemicals have been introduced, and use of solvents has been reduced across the company, resulting in the elimination of Trichloroethylene (TCE) and Perchloroethylene (PCE) use at the TI North Campus facility.
Groundwater impacts and solutions
TI has identified four areas where affected soil came into contact with groundwater. The data shows that due to the underground geology in the area, one of these is a small localized area confined to TI property and the other three have moved towards TI Boulevard to the east and southeast of the facility, but not toward the Hamilton Park residential area.
In 1997, TI installed a groundwater cut-off and treatment system (known as an interceptor trench) in the south plume area to treat the very small amounts of solvents (about 1/10 drop per gallon) in the groundwater. This cuts off further migration past the trench. Since installation, the system has extracted and treated approximately 2 million gallons of water annually – totaling more than 22 million gallons of groundwater to date.
Testing and monitoring
We have used a network of more than 100 wells installed over the years to evaluate and analyze the groundwater. In all these years, with thousands of groundwater samples, the labs have never detected solvent levels from samples collected in close proximity to Hamilton Park that would adversely impact the neighborhood or the current use of all nearby areas. Samples continue to be collected and analyzed quarterly.
The cleanup measures TI implemented, along with natural processes that degrade and reduce chemical concentrations in groundwater, has helped reduce the levels of solvents in the groundwater. Samples taken from monitoring wells nearest to the Hamilton Park neighborhood have all tested below the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's (TCEQ) most conservative applicable regulatory level (for residential areas).
In 2007, TI sampled four groundwater monitoring wells installed by another party inside the northern part of the Hamilton Park neighborhood. The groundwater from the wells was collected and analyzed using industry accepted procedures and EPA's standard analytical method. No chemicals were detected in the water from these wells.
Based on extensive scientific testing and monitoring, with oversight by regulatory agencies, the data has shown there have been no adverse impacts to Hamilton Park, or to the current use of all nearby areas from our operations.
Voluntary Cleanup Program
TI has worked with the Texas regulatory agencies since discovery of these events and enrolled in the Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP) after its inception. The TCEQ is responsible for overseeing TI's environmental activities to ensure appropriate investigation and cleanup actions are performed.
Under the VCP, TI has conducted a thorough investigation of the environmental conditions at the site. In November 2006, TI submitted an Affected Property Assessment Report to the TCEQ, which provided a detailed and comprehensive history of environmental activities, investigations and responsive measures conducted at the North Campus site. TI has supplemented this report with additional data and in February 2008 submitted a Response Action Plan (RAP) to the TCEQ outlining ongoing and proposed additional cleanup measures for the site. TI will review public comments prior to finalizing the plan and seeking approval from the TCEQ.
Response Action Plan proposed actions:
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A small localized area on the south side of the TI property is stable and not expanding. No offsite impacts are currently occurring and none are expected in the future. TI has installed an additional monitoring well in this location and ongoing monitoring will continue.
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For the south plume, TI plans to maintain its existing groundwater cut-off and treatment system and add additional monitoring wells to measure plume reduction. Natural processes that degrade and reduce chemical concentrations in groundwater will continue to reduce concentrations of solvents in the area beyond the cut-off system. Additionally, although not required, TI is committed to evaluate and implement feasible localized cleanup techniques to speed up natural processes that break down solvents in groundwater and shrink the size of the plumes. Ongoing monitoring of this area will continue, and onsite land use restrictions will be applied.
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For the north and northeast plumes, TI plans to install new groundwater cut-off and treatment systems near the source areas and conduct ongoing monitoring. Natural processes that cleanup chemicals in groundwater will continue to shrink the size of the affected areas beyond the cut-off systems. Additionally, although not required, TI will evaluate and implement feasible localized cleanup techniques for this area to enhance the natural processes. Ongoing monitoring of this area will continue, and onsite land use restrictions will be applied.
The groundwater cut-off and treatment systems will be installed within nine months of TCEQ approval of the plan. It is anticipated it could take up to 15 years for the impacted areas beyond the cut-off systems to reach the conservative regulatory levels from natural cleanup processes. Although not required, TI is committed to evaluate and implement additional methods to speed up these natural cleanup and chemical reduction processes downgradient of the groundwater cut-off and treatment systems where feasible. Onsite cleanup measures will be ongoing. Following implementation of the Response Action Plan, TI will seek TCEQ's approval of a conditional certificate of completion.
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