The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency added two new sites to its Superfund National Priorities List.
In a Dec. 20 news release, EPA announced the Hercules site in Hattiesburg, Miss., as well as the PCE Carriage Cleaners site in Bellevue, Neb., had been added to the priorities list over "releases of contamination pose significant human health and environmental risks."
"EPA remains committed to ensuring communities living near the most serious uncontrolled or abandoned releases of contamination get the health and environmental protections they deserve," EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in the news release. "Adding the Hattiesburg and Bellevue locations to our National Priorities List will advance environmental justice and help address longstanding pollution that has impacted these communities for far too long."
Adding both sites to the list will prioritize the cleanup of contaminants and is important to the health, safety and revitalization in both communities, according to the news release.
"One of EPA's highest priorities is protecting overburdened communities from the toxic effects of Superfund sites," EPA Region 4 Administrator Daniel Blackman said in the news release. "By adding Hercules Inc. to the Superfund NPL, we are making good on our commitment to protect the people we serve and support local community revitalization by allowing land to be safely redeveloped for productive use."
