The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced a second wave of approximately $1 billion for Superfund site cleanup.
The funding, from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will go toward 22 new projects and help expedite 100 ongoing cleanups, according to a Feb. 10 news release. These cleanups help "transform contaminated properties and create jobs in overburdened communities."
"But 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 in the release.
These cleanups help repurpose the sites for a variety of uses, such as public parks, retail businesses, office space, residences, warehouses and solar power generation. These sites can also be used to support natural areas, parks and recreation facilities.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated about $3.5 billion 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.
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.
