The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed adding the Carlisle Village Cleaners Superfund Site to the National Priorities List (NPL). The NPL identifies sites across the United States where historical releases of hazardous substances pose significant threats to human health and the environment.
“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.”
The former Carlisle Village Cleaners, located at 3611 Simms Avenue SE in Albuquerque, operated from 1962 through 1974. The dry-cleaning process involved chemicals like tetrachloroethene (PCE) and its byproduct, trichloroethene (TCE), which can lead to serious health issues including bladder cancer, heart defects, skin rash, and facial nerve damage. Currently, the facility is used for storage by a nearby local business but is not occupied full-time.
In May 2022, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) conducted soil gas sampling that revealed high levels of PCE and TCE near the strip mall building housing the former cleaners. Following these findings, in August 2022, New Mexico recommended that EPA conduct indoor air sampling at the strip mall. Since then, EPA has sampled air in five buildings within the strip mall and eight nearby buildings. Additionally, air purifying units were installed along with vapor pins to determine if chemicals were migrating from beneath the surface into indoor air. NMED also collected samples from 19 residential structures and informed property owners of the results. EPA is now designing a Vapor Intrusion Mitigation System (VIMS) aimed at reducing vapor entry into residential and commercial properties by fall.
For more information on this site, visit EPA’s response webpage or Storymap.
The Biden Administration has provided substantial funding to expedite EPA’s cleanup efforts at NPL sites through investments such as $3.5 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for Superfund remediation and reinstated excise taxes under the Inflation Reduction Act to support cleanups. This funding has enabled EPA to clear a backlog of unfunded Superfund sites and allocate as much cleanup funding in two years as was done over five years previously.
The four sites proposed for addition to the NPL are located in historically pollution-burdened communities with potential environmental justice concerns based on various socio-economic factors. This action aligns with President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative aiming for 40 percent of certain federal investment benefits to flow to disadvantaged communities.
EPA is adding Afterthought Mine in Bella Vista, California to the NPL and proposing three additional sites:
- Historic Potteries; Trenton, New Jersey
- Carlisle Village Cleaners; Albuquerque, New Mexico
- J.H. Baxter; Eugene, Oregon
Contaminants at these sites include heavy metals like lead and zinc; chlorinated solvents; dioxins; arsenic affecting surface water, groundwater, soil (residential and industrial), and subsurface soil (vapor intrusion).
Background:
The NPL includes sites with severe uncontrolled or abandoned contamination releases requiring prioritization for cleanup funding and enforcement actions by EPA. Sites must meet specific criteria before being proposed for inclusion on this list in the Federal Register followed by a 60-day public comment period.
Superfund cleanups have been credited with reducing birth defects and blood-lead levels among children living near contaminated 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’s announcement marks EPA's second update of 2024.
Learn more about Superfund and National Priorities List activities via social media channels or visiting our homepage.
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