The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has decided to remove the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard from the National Priorities List (NPL), also known as the "superfund" list. The shipyard, located in Kittery, Maine, no longer requires remediation according to the EPA.

An EPA news release clarified that despite this removal, ongoing operation and maintenance, land use controls and monitoring activities at the shipyard will continue. Furthermore, a comprehensive review of the site will be conducted by the Navy every five years and the information will be shared with EPA officials. This measure ensures that despite being removed from the NPL, the site remains safe from toxins.

David W. Cash, EPA New England Regional Administrator, celebrated this decision stating: "This is a day to celebrate the combined persistence and hard work of the Navy, EPA and Maine. EPA deletes sites or parts of sites from the superfund list when no further construction is required to protect human health or the environment." Cash added that he was pleased with achieving this major milestone after many years of complex investigation and cleanup work.

According to an official statement, contamination of this 278-acre military facility resulted from shipbuilding and submarine repair work, landfill operations, industrial spills and leaks, piping issues, and storage of batteries among other materials.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) commented on this achievement saying: "The successful cleanup of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is the result of 30 years of collaboration between state and federal government." Collins expressed her satisfaction with this development as she has been a longtime supporter of the superfund program.

Independent Sen. Angus King highlighted the importance of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) in national defense saying: "PNSY plays an important role in our national defense—supporting our shipbuilding priorities and providing good-paying jobs to many Maine people." King described PNSY's removal from EPA's superfund list as an encouraging step, acknowledging the efforts made to address the toxic threats on its grounds. He added that while there is still work to be done, this EPA decision is a welcome acknowledgement of their hard work thus far.