Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the second wave of approximately $1 billion in funding from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for new cleanup projects at 22 Superfund sites and to expedite over 100 other ongoing cleanups across the country. This includes the General Motors (Central Foundry Division) Superfund site in Massena, NY.
“Thanks to President Biden’s historic investments in America, we are moving faster than ever before to progress clean up at contaminated sites – from manufacturing facilities to landfills – in communities across the country,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan “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.”
"The funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will play a crucial role in addressing the Nation’s request to continue the safe cleanup of the General Motors Superfund site in Massena, NY," said Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. "This is an investment that will help address the contaminated soil and sediment and safeguard the health and well-being of Indian Nation lands."
“Cleaning up long-delayed toxic sites like GM Massena is exactly what we had in mind when we supercharged the Superfund program in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” said Senator Schumer. “Now EPA needs to put these new federal dollars to use ASAP and work with North Country and tribal leaders to finish the cleanup and ready the site for reuse.”
For years, the GM Superfund site has contaminated the soil and water around Massena, creating a serious health hazard for communities in the area. I’m grateful that funds we secured in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will enable EPA to help clean up PCB-contaminated Tribal properties in the area,” said Senator Gillibrand.
“The federal investments allocated under the landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are critical to address environmental contamination at federal superfund sites to protect public health and the environment, “said New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos.” Today’s announcement will help advance the cleanup of legacy contamination at the former General Motors site in Massena and protect New Yorkers from potential exposure to harmful contaminants. I commend the Biden-Harris Administration, the State’s Congressional delegation, and EPA Administrator Regan and EPA Region 2 Regional Administrator Garcia for their continued partnership and sustained support for cleaning up these former industrial sites across New York State.”
The site includes a former aluminum die-casting plant that operated from 1959 to 2009. During this time, industrial waste was disposed of on-site, contaminating groundwater, soil, and river sediment with PCBs, volatile organic compounds, and phenols. EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List in 1984.
The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe (SRMT) is a federally recognized Indian nation located along the St. Lawrence River downstream of the former plant. The SRMT's territory, called Akwesasne, covers approximately 16,640 square acres and has a population of 12,400 people. The SRMT is particularly concerned about the site contamination due to the proximity of its lands and the potential consumption of contaminated fish and wildlife, which is a traditional source of food.
In 1990 and 1992, EPA issued cleanup plans, which have since been implemented by General Motors or the Revitalizing Auto Communities Environmental Response (RACER) Trust. The Trust was responsible for the cleanups following General Motors' bankruptcy and has spent over $153 million on cleaning up the former plant property and nearby waterbody sediments. Although the Trust has funds for the design of the Tribal soil and sediment cleanup, it does not have funds to conduct the cleanup itself. This is where the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds come in.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds will support the next phase of the ongoing cleanup efforts at the GM Superfund site. The funds will be used to remove approximately 4,200 cubic yards of PCB-contaminated soil and 2,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediments. This work will help to protect the environment, public health, and ensure that this portion of the site is properly cleaned and safe to use.
The $1 billion investment announced today is the second wave of funding from the $3.5 billion allocated for Superfund cleanup work in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. With the first wave of funding announced in December 2021, EPA deployed more than $1 billion for cleanup activities at more than 100 Superfund National Priorities List sites across the country. Thanks to this historic funding, EPA started 81 new cleanup projects in 2022, including projects at 44 sites previously on the backlog. By starting four times as many construction projects as the year before, EPA is aggressively bringing more sites across the country closer to finishing cleanup.
In addition to funding cleanup construction work, this investment is enabling EPA to increase funding for and accelerate essential work needed to prepare sites for construction and ensure that communities are meaningfully involved in the cleanup process. In 2022, EPA more than doubled its spending for Superfund pre-construction activities like remedial investigations, feasibility studies, remedial designs, and community involvement.
EPA is committed to carrying out this work in line with President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative by advancing environmental justice and incorporating equity considerations into all aspects of the Superfund cleanup process. This will help ensure that historic and ongoing impacts of contamination on overburdened communities are fully considered and addressed. Out of the 22 sites to receive funding for new cleanup projects, 60% are in communities with the potential for environmental justice concerns based on data from EJSCREEN, an environmental justice mapping and screening tool that provides EPA with a nationally consistent dataset and approach for combining environmental and demographic socioeconomic indicators.
Background:
In 1980, Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, known as Superfund. The law gave EPA the authority and funds to hold polluters accountable for cleaning up the most contaminated sites across the country. When no viable responsible party is found or cannot afford the cleanup, EPA steps in to address risks to human health and the environment using funds appropriated by Congress, like the funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
For more information on each site, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-sites-new-construction-projects-receive-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-funding
To see highlights from the first year of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding at Superfund sites, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure/cleaning-superfund-sites-highlights-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-funding
For more information about EPA’s Superfund program, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/superfund
Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.
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