The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced additional funding for Superfund site cleanup projects.
The latest $1 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will go toward 22 projects, including the Westside Lead Superfund site in Atlanta, Ga., according to a Feb. 10 news release. An additional 100 ongoing cleanups will be expedited.
"Our work is not yet finished – we're continuing to build on this momentum to ensure that communities living near many of the most serious uncontrolled or abandoned releases of contamination finally get the investments and protections they deserve," EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said.
EPA is committed to advancing environmental justice and incorporating equity considerations into all aspects of the Superfund cleanup process, according to the news release.
Of the 22 sites to receive funding in the second wave, 60% are in communities with potential environmental justice concerns, the release reported. The EPA is following the Biden administration's Justice40 Initiative, which orders that historic and ongoing contamination impacts on affected communities be fully addressed.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated about $3.5 billion to the Superfund cleanup, with the first wave of funding announced in December 2021, the release reported.
The first wave allowed EPA to start 81 new cleanup projects last year, which brought many of those sites closer to cleanup completion. The first wave also enabled EPA to increase funding for pre-construction activities, while also ensuring community involvement in the cleanup process, according to the release.
The Westside Lead site was added to the National Priorities List in March 2022 and will receive funding to address legacy lead contamination and deliver lasting public health protections for the community, the release reported.
