The EPA announced March 17 the addition of 12 sites to their Superfund program's National Priorities List to combat the environmental and health risks associated with waste contamination sites.
“No community deserves to have contaminated sites near where they live, work, play and go to school," EPA Administrator Michael Regan said. “Nearly two out of three of the sites being proposed or added to the priorities list are in overburdened or underserved communities. EPA is building a better America by taking action to clean up some of the nation’s most contaminated sites, protect communities’ health, and return contaminated land to safe and productive reuse for future generations.”
Superfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and former Liability Act. Founded in 1980, Superfund's goal is to manage sites, such as manufacturing plants and landfills, that become contaminated due to hazardous waste being dumped or improperly managed. Superfund does this by cleaning up the sites, making responsible parties pay for damages and returning the sites to productive use.
Perhaps one of the most infamous cases of a formerly contaminated site is Niagara Falls' Love Canal, which helped lead to the creation of Superfund. The NPL helps prioritize the sites Superfund cleans up.
Additionally, a five-year review of sites is conducted to ensure their continued safety. The sites that will undergo a five-year review are located in Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida.
