The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced plans to conduct Five-Year Reviews of 26 Superfund sites across the Pacific Southwest region in 2025. This initiative is part of ongoing efforts to ensure that cleanup operations remain effective in protecting public health and the environment.
Michael Montgomery, EPA Pacific Southwest Superfund and Emergency Management Director, emphasized the importance of these reviews, stating, “Reviewing the long-term, complex cleanup work at these Superfund sites is critical to ensuring that public health and the environment will continue to be protected.” He also noted that these cleanups promote redevelopment opportunities for communities.
The sites slated for review are located in Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Nevada. In Arizona, the Nineteenth Avenue Landfill in Phoenix, Phoenix-Goodyear Airport Area in Goodyear, and Yuma Marine Corps Air Station are included. California will see reviews at locations such as Applied Materials in Santa Clara and Montrose Chemical Corp. in Torrance. Hawaii's Del Monte Corp. site on Oahu Plantation and Nevada's Anaconda Copper Mine are also on the list.
These reviews aim to confirm that past cleanup measures continue to safeguard both people and ecosystems. The EPA requires such evaluations every five years to identify any issues affecting a site's protectiveness and recommend necessary actions if needed.
The Superfund program was established by Congress in 1980 to address hazardous waste sites nationwide. It focuses on returning these areas to productive use while maintaining safety standards.
More information about the Superfund program and its activities can be found through EPA resources online.
