The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today, September 4, the addition of one site in California to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) and proposed adding four more sites. The NPL identifies locations across the United States where historical releases of hazardous substances pose significant threats to human health and the environment.
The Biden-Harris Administration has allocated historic funding to expedite EPA’s cleanup efforts at NPL sites, aiming to return these areas to productive community use. This initiative is supported by a $3.5 billion investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and reinstated Superfund “polluter pays” chemical excise taxes under the Inflation Reduction Act. These funds have enabled EPA to address a backlog of unfunded Superfund sites, providing as much cleanup funding in the past two years as was provided in the previous five years.
“Through this important work, EPA is helping protect vulnerable communities from uncontrolled hazardous waste releases,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “We are also contributing to the affected communities’ economic and overall wellbeing by restoring land currently blighted by contamination.”
EPA’s efforts align with President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims for 40 percent of certain federal investments' benefits to flow to disadvantaged communities marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
The newly added site is Afterthought Mine in Bella Vista, California. The proposed additions include:
- Historic Potteries; Trenton, New Jersey
- Carlisle Village Cleaners; Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Exide Technologies – Vernon; Vernon, California
- J.H. Baxter; Eugene, Oregon
These sites have histories involving activities such as mining for copper, zinc, lead, silver and gold; pottery manufacturing; dry cleaning; lead acid battery refining and recycling; and wood treating. Contaminants at these locations include hazardous substances like lead, zinc, chlorinated solvents, dioxins, arsenic among others affecting surface water, groundwater, soil (both residential and industrial), and subsurface soil (vapor intrusion).
The NPL prioritizes sites with severe uncontrolled or abandoned contamination for EPA Superfund cleanup funding and enforcement actions. Only non-federal sites on this list qualify for federal funding for long-term cleanups.
Before adding a site to the NPL officially, it must meet EPA's criteria and be proposed in the Federal Register followed by a 60-day public comment period. If it meets listing requirements post-comment period with responses addressed by EPA, it may be added permanently.
Superfund cleanups offer substantial health and economic benefits including reductions in birth defects and blood-lead levels among children near these sites while increasing residential property values up to 24 percent within three miles post-cleanup.
Since taking office, the Biden-Harris Administration has committed to updating the NPL biannually instead of annually. Today marks EPA's second update of 2024.
Learn more about Superfund and the National Priorities List on EPA's website.
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