EPA announces new cleanup projects in California as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda
San Francisco, CA— Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a third and final wave of more than $1 billion for cleanup projects nationwide at over 100 Superfund sites as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. This funding is made possible by the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will launch new cleanup projects at 25 Superfund sites nationwide, including California’s Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine in Clearlake Oaks, Lava Cap Mine in Nevada City, and Southern Avenue Industrial Area in South Gate.
“Thanks to unprecedented funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA is delivering significant investment to achieving the goal of long-term protection for communities living closest to contaminated sites,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “With our Superfund cleanups, we are taking firm action to protect the health, safety, and environment of communities throughout California and the Pacific Southwest.”
“Californians shouldn’t have to worry about the safety of their drinking water, soil, or food supply, but residents near mining and manufacturing sites face significant health risks,” said U.S. Senator Alex Padilla. “Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, millions of dollars are coming to California to help clean up hazardous waste in these communities — and I will keep fighting to hold polluters responsible so that taxpayers aren’t footing the bill for cleanups.”
“The EPA’s announcement today is wonderful news for communities that have been impacted by Superfund sites,” said U.S Representative Nanette Barragán (CA-44). “In my district in Southern California, the contaminated Southern Avenue Industrial Area in South Gate has been on the Superfund Program’s National Priorities list for over a decade. Today’s funding announcement is the first step to cleaning up and improving this site. The Infrastructure and Jobs Act that I voted for and President Biden signed into law will continue to help clean up these toxic Superfund sites that contaminate soil and groundwater in frontline communities.”
Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding announced today, three new cleanup projects in California will start.
Today’s announcement will fund mining waste cleanup at the Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine site in Clearlake Oaks, located on Elem Colony of Pomo Indians land. This cleanup will help protect nearby residential areas, safeguard residents’ long-term safety and health and make on-site mine areas safe for limited use by Elem Indian Colony residents for hunting, fishing, foraging, and transit to nearby lands. The site was mined intermittently for sulfur and mercury between 1865 and 1957 and now contains about 2.5 million cubic yards of mine waste, which stretches along 1,300 feet of shoreline in the Oaks Arm area of Clear Lake. Mine waste at the site has contaminated soils, surface water, and groundwater and has left mercury in sediments at the bottom of Clear Lake that have built up in fish.
At the Lava Cap Mine site in Nevada City, California, funding will be used to construct a wetland treatment plant to treat water discharging from the former mine area. The chemicals of concern at this site are arsenic, manganese, and iron. Arsenic is a known carcinogen. Iron and manganese are not considered risks to human health but can cause taste, odor, color, and staining problems when carried in water. The treatment plant will use processes, including metal precipitation, settling ponds, and lime addition, before downstream discharge. Lava Cap is a 33-acre former gold and silver mine just east of Grass Valley, California, operated from 1861 to 1943.
Finally, cleanup will begin at the Southern Avenue Industrial Area site in South Gate, where approximately 1,400 cubic yards of contaminated soil pollute the soil and groundwater. For decades, the now sectioned-off parking lot served as the site of an industrial facility for hot-melt carpet adhesive tape, contaminating the nearby soil with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like lead and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). These VOCs linger in the soil to this day. Cleanup will prevent future VOC exposure, which can cause a variety of health effects including: eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches and loss of coordination; nausea; and damage to the liver, kidneys, or central nervous system. Some VOCs are suspected or proven carcinogens. PCBs exposure can alter thyroid and reproductive function and increase the risk of developing cardiovascular and liver disease and diabetes.
In addition to the new cleanup projects, this investment supports the continued operation of a cleanup effort initially funded by prior Bipartisan Infrastructure Law –investment at the Argonaut Mine Superfund site in California.
At the Argonaut Mine site in Jackson, California, mining operations occurred from the 1850s to 1942. Portions of the site's soil still have high levels of arsenic, lead, mercury, and other metals and remain off-limits to the public. Since 2013, EPA has been working to understand and address the contamination at the site, removing the soil from a nearby lot and several residential yards in 2013 and removing soil in addition to capping a slope at Jackson Junior High School in 2015. Thanks to earlier funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA undertook a short-term cleanup known as a Removal Action at Argonaut from June 1, 2022, to November 2023. This removal action addressed the highest concentrations of contamination, which posed a risk to nearby community members if they accessed the site. That prior cleanup cost approximately $25 million and moved 130,000 cubic yards of mine waste and contaminated soil/bedrock. The area of work covered 28 acres and consolidated all tailings and contaminated soil into a landfill on top of existing tailings and was capped with layers of clay, rodent barrier (gravel or stainless-steel wool), and composted soil that is 3.5 feet thick. Other areas not part of the landfill were also capped to prevent water percolation into the subsurface and as a barrier to remaining place waste.
Thousands of contaminated sites exist nationally due to hazardous waste being dumped, left out in the open, or otherwise improperly managed. These sites can include toxic chemicals from manufacturing facilities, processing plants, landfills, and mining and can harm the health and well-being of local communities in urban and rural areas.
Today’s investment is the final wave of funding from the $3.5 billion allocated for Superfund cleanup work in the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. So far, EPA has deployed over $2 billion for cleanup activities at over 150 Superfund National Priorities List sites. EPA has been able to provide as much funding for cleanup work in the past two years as it did in the previous five years while delivering on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
EPA is committed to continuing this work, advancing environmental justice, and incorporating equity considerations into all aspects of the Superfund cleanup process. More than one in four Black and Hispanic Americans live within three miles of a Superfund site. These investments are restoring the health and economic vitality of communities exposed to pervasive legacy pollution. Thus far, nearly 80% of the funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has gone to sites in communities with potential environmental justice concerns. Out of the 25 sites to receive funding for new cleanup projects, more than 75% are in communities with potential environmental justice concerns based on data from EJSCREEN.
To see a list of the 25 sites to receive funding for new cleanup projects, visit EPA’s Superfund webpage.
To see highlights from the first two years of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding at Superfund sites, visit EPA’s Cleaning Up Superfund Sites: Highlights of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding website.
Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, and X.
“Thanks to unprecedented funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA is delivering significant investment to achieving the goal of long-term protection for communities living closest to contaminated sites,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “With our Superfund cleanups, we are taking firm action to protect the health, safety, and environment of communities throughout California and the Pacific Southwest.”
“Californians shouldn’t have to worry about the safety of their drinking water, soil, or food supply, but residents near mining and manufacturing sites face significant health risks,” said U.S. Senator Alex Padilla. “Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, millions of dollars are coming to California to help clean up hazardous waste in these communities — and I will keep fighting to hold polluters responsible so that taxpayers aren’t footing the bill for cleanups.”
“The EPA’s announcement today is wonderful news for communities that have been impacted by Superfund sites,” said U.S Representative Nanette Barragán (CA-44). “In my district in Southern California, the contaminated Southern Avenue Industrial Area in South Gate has been on the Superfund Program’s National Priorities list for over a decade. Today’s funding announcement is the first step to cleaning up and improving this site. The Infrastructure and Jobs Act that I voted for and President Biden signed into law will continue to help clean up these toxic Superfund sites that contaminate soil and groundwater in frontline communities.”
Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding announced today, three new cleanup projects in California will start.
Today’s announcement will fund mining waste cleanup at the Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine site in Clearlake Oaks, located on Elem Colony of Pomo Indians land. This cleanup will help protect nearby residential areas, safeguard residents’ long-term safety and health and make on-site mine areas safe for limited use by Elem Indian Colony residents for hunting, fishing, foraging, and transit to nearby lands. The site was mined intermittently for sulfur and mercury between 1865 and 1957 and now contains about 2.5 million cubic yards of mine waste, which stretches along 1,300 feet of shoreline in the Oaks Arm area of Clear Lake. Mine waste at the site has contaminated soils, surface water, and groundwater and has left mercury in sediments at the bottom of Clear Lake that have built up in fish.
At the Lava Cap Mine site in Nevada City, California, funding will be used to construct a wetland treatment plant to treat water discharging from the former mine area. The chemicals of concern at this site are arsenic, manganese, and iron. Arsenic is a known carcinogen. Iron and manganese are not considered risks to human health but can cause taste, odor, color, and staining problems when carried in water. The treatment plant will use processes, including metal precipitation, settling ponds, and lime addition, before downstream discharge. Lava Cap is a 33-acre former gold and silver mine just east of Grass Valley, California, operated from 1861 to 1943.
Finally, cleanup will begin at the Southern Avenue Industrial Area site in South Gate, where approximately 1,400 cubic yards of contaminated soil pollute the soil and groundwater. For decades, the now sectioned-off parking lot served as the site of an industrial facility for hot-melt carpet adhesive tape, contaminating the nearby soil with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like lead and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). These VOCs linger in the soil to this day. Cleanup will prevent future VOC exposure, which can cause a variety of health effects including: eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches and loss of coordination; nausea; and damage to the liver, kidneys, or central nervous system. Some VOCs are suspected or proven carcinogens. PCBs exposure can alter thyroid and reproductive function and increase the risk of developing cardiovascular and liver disease and diabetes.
In addition to the new cleanup projects, this investment supports the continued operation of a cleanup effort initially funded by prior Bipartisan Infrastructure Law –investment at the Argonaut Mine Superfund site in California.
At the Argonaut Mine site in Jackson, California, mining operations occurred from the 1850s to 1942. Portions of the site's soil still have high levels of arsenic, lead, mercury, and other metals and remain off-limits to the public. Since 2013, EPA has been working to understand and address the contamination at the site, removing the soil from a nearby lot and several residential yards in 2013 and removing soil in addition to capping a slope at Jackson Junior High School in 2015. Thanks to earlier funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA undertook a short-term cleanup known as a Removal Action at Argonaut from June 1, 2022, to November 2023. This removal action addressed the highest concentrations of contamination, which posed a risk to nearby community members if they accessed the site. That prior cleanup cost approximately $25 million and moved 130,000 cubic yards of mine waste and contaminated soil/bedrock. The area of work covered 28 acres and consolidated all tailings and contaminated soil into a landfill on top of existing tailings and was capped with layers of clay, rodent barrier (gravel or stainless-steel wool), and composted soil that is 3.5 feet thick. Other areas not part of the landfill were also capped to prevent water percolation into the subsurface and as a barrier to remaining place waste.
Thousands of contaminated sites exist nationally due to hazardous waste being dumped, left out in the open, or otherwise improperly managed. These sites can include toxic chemicals from manufacturing facilities, processing plants, landfills, and mining and can harm the health and well-being of local communities in urban and rural areas.
Today’s investment is the final wave of funding from the $3.5 billion allocated for Superfund cleanup work in the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. So far, EPA has deployed over $2 billion for cleanup activities at over 150 Superfund National Priorities List sites. EPA has been able to provide as much funding for cleanup work in the past two years as it did in the previous five years while delivering on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
EPA is committed to continuing this work, advancing environmental justice, and incorporating equity considerations into all aspects of the Superfund cleanup process. More than one in four Black and Hispanic Americans live within three miles of a Superfund site. These investments are restoring the health and economic vitality of communities exposed to pervasive legacy pollution. Thus far, nearly 80% of the funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has gone to sites in communities with potential environmental justice concerns. Out of the 25 sites to receive funding for new cleanup projects, more than 75% are in communities with potential environmental justice concerns based on data from EJSCREEN.
To see a list of the 25 sites to receive funding for new cleanup projects, visit EPA’s Superfund webpage.
To see highlights from the first two years of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding at Superfund sites, visit EPA’s Cleaning Up Superfund Sites: Highlights of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding website.
Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, and X.
Biden-Harris Administration announces new cleanup projects in Pennsylvania as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda
PHILADELPHIA— Today, Feb. 27, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a third and final wave of more than $1 billion for cleanup projects at more than 100 Superfund sites across the country as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. This funding is made possible by the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will launch new cleanup projects at 25 Superfund sites, including four in Pennsylvania.
“After three rounds of investments, EPA is delivering on President Biden’s full promise to invest in cleaning up America’s most contaminated Superfund sites,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “This final round of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding has made it possible for EPA to initiate clean ups at every single Superfund site where construction work is ready to begin. This is an incredible milestone in our efforts to clean up and protect communities, deliver local jobs, enhance economic activity, and improve people’s lives for years to come.”
“Today’s funding announcement continues EPA’s historic investment in the remediation of our nation’s most contaminated sites,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “As a result, the legacy pollution at five Superfund sites in the mid-Atlantic will be cleaned up, providing public health protection to several communities in Delaware and Pennsylvania.”
“When we clean up toxins and waste in Pennsylvania communities, we’re investing not only in their health and safety, but their economic security and potential,” said U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA). “By cleaning up these Superfund sites, the infrastructure law is delivering cleaner air and water to Pennsylvania families and economic opportunity and revitalization throughout the Commonwealth.”
“Accelerating these cleanups will improve the environment in Pennsylvania and restore economic vitality to the communities where these sites are located,” said Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Interim Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley. “The infusion of resources from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will further eliminate the legacy pollution at these sites and make these communities whole, resulting in healthier communities and a better Pennsylvania.”
Thousands of contaminated sites exist nationally due to hazardous waste being dumped, left out in the open, or otherwise improperly managed. These sites can include toxic chemicals from manufacturing facilities, processing plants, landfills and mining, and can harm the health and well-being of local communities in urban and rural areas.
Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding announced today, four cleanup projects in Pennsylvania will start.
At the Jackson Ceramix, Inc. site in Jefferson County, funds will go towards the excavation and disposal of soil and sediment contaminated with lead. The contamination is from past industrial and manufacturing activities at the site. After the excavation, there will be a site-wide wetland restoration.
At the Salford Quarry site in Montgomery County, EPA will be working to contain buried waste that has historically impacted groundwater using a perimeter wall below the surface and an impermeable cap.
At the Valmont TCE site in Luzerne County, funds will be used for thermal remediation to remove contamination from below the ground surface using heat. The chemicals will be collected as vapors and then destroyed.
At the Baghurst Drive site in Montgomery County, funding will be used to conduct remediation of contaminated groundwater. The cleanup technology will heat up the soil and bedrock to a temperature that will volatilize and capture contaminants. This will remove the source of contamination to groundwater and be the first step in restoring groundwater to drinking water conditions.
In addition to the new cleanups announced, today’s investment supports continued construction at a number of Superfund sites across Pennsylvania.
At the Crossley Farm Superfund site in Berks County, funds are enhancing groundwater treatment. The funding involves pumping contaminated groundwater to a treatment plant on the site, and improvements to the current plant. The water that will be treated is from a highly contaminated area known as the source area.
At the North Penn Area 6 site in Montgomery County, initial BIL funding was used to complete excavation and disposal of contaminated soil, place new clean backfill, and restore the JW Rex property in just over 1 year. The continued clean-up work at the JW Rex property will help to accelerate the total remediation efforts at the North Penn Area 6 site.
Today’s investment is the final wave of funding from the $3.5 billion allocated for Superfund cleanup work in the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. So far, EPA has deployed more than $2 billion for cleanup activities at more than 150 Superfund National Priorities List sites. Thanks to President Biden’s commitment to addressing legacy pollution and improving public health, EPA has been able to provide as much funding for cleanup work in the past two years as it did in the previous five years while delivering on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
EPA is committed to continuing to carry out this work advancing environmental justice and incorporating equity considerations into all aspects of the Superfund cleanup process. More than one in four Black and Hispanic Americans live within three miles of a Superfund site. These investments are restoring the health and economic vitality of communities that have been exposed to pervasive legacy pollution. Thus far, nearly 80% of the funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has gone to sites in communities with potential environmental justice concerns. Out of the 25 sites to receive funding for new cleanup projects, more than 75% are in communities with potential environmental justice concerns based on data from EJSCREEN.
The historic investment made by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law strengthens every part of the Superfund program, making a dramatic difference in EPA’s ability to tackle threats to human health and the environment. In addition to funding cleanup construction work, the investment is enabling EPA to increase funding for and accelerate essential work needed to prepare sites for construction and to ensure communities are meaningfully involved in the cleanup process. In 2023, EPA continued to fund Superfund pre-construction activities such as remedial investigations, feasibility studies, remedial designs, and community involvement at double pre-Bipartisan Infrastructure Law levels.
In 1980, Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERLCA), 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.
To see a list of the 25 sites to receive funding for new cleanup projects, visit EPA’s Superfund webpage.
To see highlights from the first two years of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding at Superfund sites, visit EPA’s Cleaning Up Superfund Sites: Highlights of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding website.
“After three rounds of investments, EPA is delivering on President Biden’s full promise to invest in cleaning up America’s most contaminated Superfund sites,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “This final round of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding has made it possible for EPA to initiate clean ups at every single Superfund site where construction work is ready to begin. This is an incredible milestone in our efforts to clean up and protect communities, deliver local jobs, enhance economic activity, and improve people’s lives for years to come.”
“Today’s funding announcement continues EPA’s historic investment in the remediation of our nation’s most contaminated sites,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “As a result, the legacy pollution at five Superfund sites in the mid-Atlantic will be cleaned up, providing public health protection to several communities in Delaware and Pennsylvania.”
“When we clean up toxins and waste in Pennsylvania communities, we’re investing not only in their health and safety, but their economic security and potential,” said U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA). “By cleaning up these Superfund sites, the infrastructure law is delivering cleaner air and water to Pennsylvania families and economic opportunity and revitalization throughout the Commonwealth.”
“Accelerating these cleanups will improve the environment in Pennsylvania and restore economic vitality to the communities where these sites are located,” said Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Interim Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley. “The infusion of resources from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will further eliminate the legacy pollution at these sites and make these communities whole, resulting in healthier communities and a better Pennsylvania.”
Thousands of contaminated sites exist nationally due to hazardous waste being dumped, left out in the open, or otherwise improperly managed. These sites can include toxic chemicals from manufacturing facilities, processing plants, landfills and mining, and can harm the health and well-being of local communities in urban and rural areas.
Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding announced today, four cleanup projects in Pennsylvania will start.
At the Jackson Ceramix, Inc. site in Jefferson County, funds will go towards the excavation and disposal of soil and sediment contaminated with lead. The contamination is from past industrial and manufacturing activities at the site. After the excavation, there will be a site-wide wetland restoration.
At the Salford Quarry site in Montgomery County, EPA will be working to contain buried waste that has historically impacted groundwater using a perimeter wall below the surface and an impermeable cap.
At the Valmont TCE site in Luzerne County, funds will be used for thermal remediation to remove contamination from below the ground surface using heat. The chemicals will be collected as vapors and then destroyed.
At the Baghurst Drive site in Montgomery County, funding will be used to conduct remediation of contaminated groundwater. The cleanup technology will heat up the soil and bedrock to a temperature that will volatilize and capture contaminants. This will remove the source of contamination to groundwater and be the first step in restoring groundwater to drinking water conditions.
In addition to the new cleanups announced, today’s investment supports continued construction at a number of Superfund sites across Pennsylvania.
At the Crossley Farm Superfund site in Berks County, funds are enhancing groundwater treatment. The funding involves pumping contaminated groundwater to a treatment plant on the site, and improvements to the current plant. The water that will be treated is from a highly contaminated area known as the source area.
At the North Penn Area 6 site in Montgomery County, initial BIL funding was used to complete excavation and disposal of contaminated soil, place new clean backfill, and restore the JW Rex property in just over 1 year. The continued clean-up work at the JW Rex property will help to accelerate the total remediation efforts at the North Penn Area 6 site.
Today’s investment is the final wave of funding from the $3.5 billion allocated for Superfund cleanup work in the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. So far, EPA has deployed more than $2 billion for cleanup activities at more than 150 Superfund National Priorities List sites. Thanks to President Biden’s commitment to addressing legacy pollution and improving public health, EPA has been able to provide as much funding for cleanup work in the past two years as it did in the previous five years while delivering on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
EPA is committed to continuing to carry out this work advancing environmental justice and incorporating equity considerations into all aspects of the Superfund cleanup process. More than one in four Black and Hispanic Americans live within three miles of a Superfund site. These investments are restoring the health and economic vitality of communities that have been exposed to pervasive legacy pollution. Thus far, nearly 80% of the funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has gone to sites in communities with potential environmental justice concerns. Out of the 25 sites to receive funding for new cleanup projects, more than 75% are in communities with potential environmental justice concerns based on data from EJSCREEN.
The historic investment made by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law strengthens every part of the Superfund program, making a dramatic difference in EPA’s ability to tackle threats to human health and the environment. In addition to funding cleanup construction work, the investment is enabling EPA to increase funding for and accelerate essential work needed to prepare sites for construction and to ensure communities are meaningfully involved in the cleanup process. In 2023, EPA continued to fund Superfund pre-construction activities such as remedial investigations, feasibility studies, remedial designs, and community involvement at double pre-Bipartisan Infrastructure Law levels.
In 1980, Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERLCA), 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.
To see a list of the 25 sites to receive funding for new cleanup projects, visit EPA’s Superfund webpage.
To see highlights from the first two years of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding at Superfund sites, visit EPA’s Cleaning Up Superfund Sites: Highlights of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding website.
EPA announces cleanup will begin at the Asarco Taylor Springs Superfund site in Illinois as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda
CHICAGO (February 27, 2024) — Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a third and final wave of more than $1 billion for cleanup projects at more than 100 Superfund sites across the country as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. This funding is made possible by the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will launch new cleanup projects at 25 Superfund sites, including the Asarco Taylor Springs Superfund site in Taylor Springs, Ill.
“After three rounds of investments, EPA is delivering on President Biden’s full promise to invest in cleaning up America’s most contaminated Superfund sites,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “This final round of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding has made it possible for EPA to initiate clean ups at every single Superfund site where construction work is ready to begin. This is an incredible milestone in our efforts to clean up and protect communities, deliver local jobs, enhance economic activity, and improve people’s lives for years to come.”
“Getting legacy contamination out of communities is at the core of EPA’s mission,” said Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore. “Thanks to the President's Investing in America agenda, EPA has the resources to clean up these sites much faster than we otherwise could.”
“Alongside Illinois’ rich industrial history lies the sobering reality of polluted sites that pose significant risks to public health and the environment,” said Sen. Dick Durbin. “This federal funding is critical in our mission to restore contaminated sites for the benefit of every Illinois resident and safeguard the surrounding ecosystems.”
“I’m proud to see the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is continuing to support critical projects throughout Illinois, and I’m pleased this Superfund site in Montgomery County, Illinois, will benefit,” said Sen. Tammy Duckworth. “Eliminating contaminated sites is an important part of protecting the health of children and families, and it is also a necessary part of helping spur development, job creation and economic growth for affected communities. I’ll keep working to help ensure that all Illinoisans can breathe clean air and live in a safe environment without fear of toxins and pollution.”
“Rehabilitating polluted properties is critical in our efforts to revitalize underserved communities and drive economic growth,” said Rep. Nikki Budzinski. “In Springfield, the Moving Pillsbury Forward project has shown us the promise that Superfund site resources have in transforming neighborhoods that have been left behind for too long. That’s why I’m thrilled to see $1 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law headed to Superfund sites across the country – including a project in Southern Illinois – to ensure that more communities get the attention and remediation that they deserve.”
“Illinois EPA is pleased to see this federal funding being directly applied to the Asarco Superfund site in Taylor Springs, Illinois,” said Illinois EPA Director John J. Kim. “With no required state match, 100 percent of this funding will go directly to remediating this site, which is a win for Illinois residents.”
Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding announced today, cleanup will begin at the Asarco Taylor Springs Superfund site. EPA completed the remedial investigation and feasibility study phase of the Superfund process in 2021 and issued a proposed cleanup plan for public comment in June 2021. Funding will be used to remediate lead- contaminated soil, process residues, and groundwater at the site. For the residential areas, this involves the excavation of contaminated soil and backfilling with clean soil. At the former smelter property, cleanup includes excavation of source materials and lake dams and spillways repair to prevent release of contaminated material and protect aquatic habitat.
In addition to the new cleanup announced, today’s investment supports continued cleanup work at the Ottawa Radiation Areas Superfund site and Matthiessen and Hegeler Zinc Co. Superfund site in Illinois.
The Ottawa Radiation Areas site includes a total of 16 areas in and around Ottawa that were contaminated with radium. Radioactive-contaminated soils down to 10 feet deep will be excavated and shipped to a disposal facility. Remediation of the last area of contamination will allow EPA to pursue deletion of the site from the National Priority List of Superfund sites and provide for redevelopment in the future.
The Matthiessen and Hegeler Zinc Co. in La Salle smelted zinc from 1858 through 1961. The additional funding will be used to continue to remediate contaminated soil found in residential yards. The remediation includes excavation and on-site disposal within a containment cell.
Today’s investment is the final wave of funding from the $3.5 billion allocated for Superfund cleanup work in the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. So far, EPA has deployed more than $2 billion for cleanup activities at more than 150 Superfund National Priorities List sites. Thanks to President Biden’s commitment to addressing legacy pollution and improving public health, EPA has been able to provide as much funding for cleanup work in the past two years as it did in the previous five years while delivering on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
EPA is committed to continuing to carry out this work advancing environmental justice and incorporating equity considerations into all aspects of the Superfund cleanup process. More than one in four Black and Hispanic Americans live within three miles of a Superfund site. These investments are restoring the health and economic vitality of communities that have been exposed to pervasive legacy pollution. Thus far, nearly 80% of the funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has gone to sites in communities with potential environmental justice concerns. Out of the 25 sites to receive funding for new cleanup projects, more than 75% are in communities with potential environmental justice concerns based on data from EJSCREEN.
The historic investment made by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law strengthens every part of the Superfund program, making a dramatic difference in EPA’s ability to tackle threats to human health and the environment. In addition to funding cleanup construction work, the investment is enabling EPA to increase funding for and accelerate essential work needed to prepare sites for construction and to ensure communities are meaningfully involved in the cleanup process. In 2023, EPA continued to fund Superfund pre-construction activities such as remedial investigations, feasibility studies, remedial designs, and community involvement at double pre-Bipartisan Infrastructure Law levels.
In 1980, Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERLCA), 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.
To see a list of the 25 sites to receive funding for new cleanup projects, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-sites-new-construction-projects-receive-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-funding
To see highlights from the first two years of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding at Superfund sites, visit EPA’s Cleaning Up Superfund Sites: Highlights of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding website.
For more information about EPA’s Superfund program, visit EPA’s Superfund website.
“After three rounds of investments, EPA is delivering on President Biden’s full promise to invest in cleaning up America’s most contaminated Superfund sites,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “This final round of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding has made it possible for EPA to initiate clean ups at every single Superfund site where construction work is ready to begin. This is an incredible milestone in our efforts to clean up and protect communities, deliver local jobs, enhance economic activity, and improve people’s lives for years to come.”
“Getting legacy contamination out of communities is at the core of EPA’s mission,” said Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore. “Thanks to the President's Investing in America agenda, EPA has the resources to clean up these sites much faster than we otherwise could.”
“Alongside Illinois’ rich industrial history lies the sobering reality of polluted sites that pose significant risks to public health and the environment,” said Sen. Dick Durbin. “This federal funding is critical in our mission to restore contaminated sites for the benefit of every Illinois resident and safeguard the surrounding ecosystems.”
“I’m proud to see the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is continuing to support critical projects throughout Illinois, and I’m pleased this Superfund site in Montgomery County, Illinois, will benefit,” said Sen. Tammy Duckworth. “Eliminating contaminated sites is an important part of protecting the health of children and families, and it is also a necessary part of helping spur development, job creation and economic growth for affected communities. I’ll keep working to help ensure that all Illinoisans can breathe clean air and live in a safe environment without fear of toxins and pollution.”
“Rehabilitating polluted properties is critical in our efforts to revitalize underserved communities and drive economic growth,” said Rep. Nikki Budzinski. “In Springfield, the Moving Pillsbury Forward project has shown us the promise that Superfund site resources have in transforming neighborhoods that have been left behind for too long. That’s why I’m thrilled to see $1 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law headed to Superfund sites across the country – including a project in Southern Illinois – to ensure that more communities get the attention and remediation that they deserve.”
“Illinois EPA is pleased to see this federal funding being directly applied to the Asarco Superfund site in Taylor Springs, Illinois,” said Illinois EPA Director John J. Kim. “With no required state match, 100 percent of this funding will go directly to remediating this site, which is a win for Illinois residents.”
Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding announced today, cleanup will begin at the Asarco Taylor Springs Superfund site. EPA completed the remedial investigation and feasibility study phase of the Superfund process in 2021 and issued a proposed cleanup plan for public comment in June 2021. Funding will be used to remediate lead- contaminated soil, process residues, and groundwater at the site. For the residential areas, this involves the excavation of contaminated soil and backfilling with clean soil. At the former smelter property, cleanup includes excavation of source materials and lake dams and spillways repair to prevent release of contaminated material and protect aquatic habitat.
In addition to the new cleanup announced, today’s investment supports continued cleanup work at the Ottawa Radiation Areas Superfund site and Matthiessen and Hegeler Zinc Co. Superfund site in Illinois.
The Ottawa Radiation Areas site includes a total of 16 areas in and around Ottawa that were contaminated with radium. Radioactive-contaminated soils down to 10 feet deep will be excavated and shipped to a disposal facility. Remediation of the last area of contamination will allow EPA to pursue deletion of the site from the National Priority List of Superfund sites and provide for redevelopment in the future.
The Matthiessen and Hegeler Zinc Co. in La Salle smelted zinc from 1858 through 1961. The additional funding will be used to continue to remediate contaminated soil found in residential yards. The remediation includes excavation and on-site disposal within a containment cell.
Today’s investment is the final wave of funding from the $3.5 billion allocated for Superfund cleanup work in the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. So far, EPA has deployed more than $2 billion for cleanup activities at more than 150 Superfund National Priorities List sites. Thanks to President Biden’s commitment to addressing legacy pollution and improving public health, EPA has been able to provide as much funding for cleanup work in the past two years as it did in the previous five years while delivering on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
EPA is committed to continuing to carry out this work advancing environmental justice and incorporating equity considerations into all aspects of the Superfund cleanup process. More than one in four Black and Hispanic Americans live within three miles of a Superfund site. These investments are restoring the health and economic vitality of communities that have been exposed to pervasive legacy pollution. Thus far, nearly 80% of the funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has gone to sites in communities with potential environmental justice concerns. Out of the 25 sites to receive funding for new cleanup projects, more than 75% are in communities with potential environmental justice concerns based on data from EJSCREEN.
The historic investment made by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law strengthens every part of the Superfund program, making a dramatic difference in EPA’s ability to tackle threats to human health and the environment. In addition to funding cleanup construction work, the investment is enabling EPA to increase funding for and accelerate essential work needed to prepare sites for construction and to ensure communities are meaningfully involved in the cleanup process. In 2023, EPA continued to fund Superfund pre-construction activities such as remedial investigations, feasibility studies, remedial designs, and community involvement at double pre-Bipartisan Infrastructure Law levels.
In 1980, Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERLCA), 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.
To see a list of the 25 sites to receive funding for new cleanup projects, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-sites-new-construction-projects-receive-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-funding
To see highlights from the first two years of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding at Superfund sites, visit EPA’s Cleaning Up Superfund Sites: Highlights of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding website.
For more information about EPA’s Superfund program, visit EPA’s Superfund website.
EPA announces cleanup will begin at the Velsicol Chemical Corporation in Michigan as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda
CHICAGO (February 27, 2024) — Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a third and final wave of more than $1 billion for cleanup projects at more than 100 Superfund sites across the country as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. This funding is made possible by the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will launch new cleanup projects at 25 Superfund sites, including the Velsicol Chemical Corporation in St. Louis, Michigan.
“After three rounds of investments, EPA is delivering on President Biden’s full promise to invest in cleaning up America’s most contaminated Superfund sites,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “This final round of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding has made it possible for EPA to initiate clean ups at every single Superfund site where construction work is ready to begin. This is an incredible milestone in our efforts to clean up and protect communities, deliver local jobs, enhance economic activity, and improve people’s lives for years to come.”
“Getting legacy contamination out of communities is at the core of EPA’s mission,” said Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore. “Thanks to the President's Investing in America agenda, EPA has the resources to clean up these sites much faster than we otherwise could.”
“Decades later, we are still fighting to reverse the immense environmental and public health damage that came from the PBB disaster of 1973, as well as the use of other harmful contaminants like DTT,” said U.S. Senator Gary Peters. “That’s why I’m thrilled to announce this investment that I fought to secure in the bipartisan infrastructure law, which will provide critical support for cleanup efforts at the Velsicol Chemical Superfund site in St. Louis and long-overdue relief to the local community.”
“Michigan is thankful to the U.S. EPA for this critical federal investment to help St. Louis and Michigan communities remove decades-old legacy contaminants from the Velsicol Chemical Corporation,” said Michigan Environment, Great Lakes and Energy Director Phil Roos. “This investment will support important ongoing activities to protect public health and the environment and ecosystem along the Pine River.”
Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, cleanup will begin at Velsicol Chemical Corporation Superfund site. to remediate an area located at the St. Louis hydroelectric dam to 1.5 miles downstream within the Pine River. Cleanup includes excavation, off-site disposal, and restoration of streambanks and four floodplains with DDT contamination. The volume is estimated to be over 20,000 cubic yards.
In addition to the new cleanup announced, today’s investment supports continued cleanup work at the Tar Lake Superfund site, Charlevoix Municipal Well Superfund site, and the DSC McLouth Steel Gibraltar Plant Superfund site in Michigan.
The Tar Lake Superfund site is an approximate 234-acres near Mancelona, Michigan, that was formerly occupied by Antrim Iron Works that manufactured iron using the hardwood charcoal method from about 1882 to 1945. BIL funding will be used to engage the United States Army Corps of Engineers to excavate and dispose approximately 215,000 tons of contaminated soil and improve the groundwater remediation system with a new energy efficient air compressor and 28 new wells.
The Charlevoix Municipal Well Superfund site includes multiple contaminant sources in the central portion of the city of Charlevoix. BIL funding will be used to install mitigation systems, demolish buildings and excavation and dispose soils off-site.
The DSC McLouth Steel Gibraltar Plant Superfund site operated as a steel finishing operation from the 1950s until 1996 about 25-miles south of Detroit. The funding will be used to monitor, pump, and dispose of containments from ponds associated with Landfills A & B to prevent the overflow of hazardous waste into the surrounding drainage system that leads to surface waters. The hazardous liquid is mixed with stormwater in a treatment pond to reduce the pH to non-hazardous levels before being sent to an EPA-approved off-site disposal facility. An estimated 1.5 million gallons of liquid/stormwater mixture will be pumped, transported, and disposed of off-site during 2024.
Today’s investment is the final wave of funding from the $3.5 billion allocated for Superfund cleanup work in the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. So far, EPA has deployed more than $2 billion for cleanup activities at more than 150 Superfund National Priorities List sites. Thanks to President Biden’s commitment to addressing legacy pollution and improving public health, EPA has been able to provide as much funding for cleanup work in the past two years as it did in the previous five years while delivering on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
EPA is committed to continuing to carry out this work advancing environmental justice and incorporating equity considerations into all aspects of the Superfund cleanup process. More than one in four Black and Hispanic Americans live within three miles of a Superfund site. These investments are restoring the health and economic vitality of communities that have been exposed to pervasive legacy pollution. Thus far, nearly 80% of the funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has gone to sites in communities with potential environmental justice concerns. Out of the 25 sites to receive funding for new cleanup projects, more than 75% are in communities with potential environmental justice concerns based on data from EJSCREEN.
The historic investment made by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law strengthens every part of the Superfund program, making a dramatic difference in EPA’s ability to tackle threats to human health and the environment. In addition to funding cleanup construction work, the investment is enabling EPA to increase funding for and accelerate essential work needed to prepare sites for construction and to ensure communities are meaningfully involved in the cleanup process. In 2023, EPA continued to fund Superfund pre-construction activities such as remedial investigations, feasibility studies, remedial designs, and community involvement at double pre-Bipartisan Infrastructure Law levels.
In 1980, Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERLCA), 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.
To see a list of the 25 sites to receive funding for new cleanup projects, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-sites-new-construction-projects-receive-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-funding
To see highlights from the first two years of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding at Superfund sites, visit EPA’s Cleaning Up Superfund Sites: Highlights of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding website.
For more information about EPA’s Superfund program, visit EPA’s Superfund website.
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“After three rounds of investments, EPA is delivering on President Biden’s full promise to invest in cleaning up America’s most contaminated Superfund sites,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “This final round of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding has made it possible for EPA to initiate clean ups at every single Superfund site where construction work is ready to begin. This is an incredible milestone in our efforts to clean up and protect communities, deliver local jobs, enhance economic activity, and improve people’s lives for years to come.”
“Getting legacy contamination out of communities is at the core of EPA’s mission,” said Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore. “Thanks to the President's Investing in America agenda, EPA has the resources to clean up these sites much faster than we otherwise could.”
“Decades later, we are still fighting to reverse the immense environmental and public health damage that came from the PBB disaster of 1973, as well as the use of other harmful contaminants like DTT,” said U.S. Senator Gary Peters. “That’s why I’m thrilled to announce this investment that I fought to secure in the bipartisan infrastructure law, which will provide critical support for cleanup efforts at the Velsicol Chemical Superfund site in St. Louis and long-overdue relief to the local community.”
“Michigan is thankful to the U.S. EPA for this critical federal investment to help St. Louis and Michigan communities remove decades-old legacy contaminants from the Velsicol Chemical Corporation,” said Michigan Environment, Great Lakes and Energy Director Phil Roos. “This investment will support important ongoing activities to protect public health and the environment and ecosystem along the Pine River.”
Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, cleanup will begin at Velsicol Chemical Corporation Superfund site. to remediate an area located at the St. Louis hydroelectric dam to 1.5 miles downstream within the Pine River. Cleanup includes excavation, off-site disposal, and restoration of streambanks and four floodplains with DDT contamination. The volume is estimated to be over 20,000 cubic yards.
In addition to the new cleanup announced, today’s investment supports continued cleanup work at the Tar Lake Superfund site, Charlevoix Municipal Well Superfund site, and the DSC McLouth Steel Gibraltar Plant Superfund site in Michigan.
The Tar Lake Superfund site is an approximate 234-acres near Mancelona, Michigan, that was formerly occupied by Antrim Iron Works that manufactured iron using the hardwood charcoal method from about 1882 to 1945. BIL funding will be used to engage the United States Army Corps of Engineers to excavate and dispose approximately 215,000 tons of contaminated soil and improve the groundwater remediation system with a new energy efficient air compressor and 28 new wells.
The Charlevoix Municipal Well Superfund site includes multiple contaminant sources in the central portion of the city of Charlevoix. BIL funding will be used to install mitigation systems, demolish buildings and excavation and dispose soils off-site.
The DSC McLouth Steel Gibraltar Plant Superfund site operated as a steel finishing operation from the 1950s until 1996 about 25-miles south of Detroit. The funding will be used to monitor, pump, and dispose of containments from ponds associated with Landfills A & B to prevent the overflow of hazardous waste into the surrounding drainage system that leads to surface waters. The hazardous liquid is mixed with stormwater in a treatment pond to reduce the pH to non-hazardous levels before being sent to an EPA-approved off-site disposal facility. An estimated 1.5 million gallons of liquid/stormwater mixture will be pumped, transported, and disposed of off-site during 2024.
Today’s investment is the final wave of funding from the $3.5 billion allocated for Superfund cleanup work in the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. So far, EPA has deployed more than $2 billion for cleanup activities at more than 150 Superfund National Priorities List sites. Thanks to President Biden’s commitment to addressing legacy pollution and improving public health, EPA has been able to provide as much funding for cleanup work in the past two years as it did in the previous five years while delivering on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
EPA is committed to continuing to carry out this work advancing environmental justice and incorporating equity considerations into all aspects of the Superfund cleanup process. More than one in four Black and Hispanic Americans live within three miles of a Superfund site. These investments are restoring the health and economic vitality of communities that have been exposed to pervasive legacy pollution. Thus far, nearly 80% of the funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has gone to sites in communities with potential environmental justice concerns. Out of the 25 sites to receive funding for new cleanup projects, more than 75% are in communities with potential environmental justice concerns based on data from EJSCREEN.
The historic investment made by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law strengthens every part of the Superfund program, making a dramatic difference in EPA’s ability to tackle threats to human health and the environment. In addition to funding cleanup construction work, the investment is enabling EPA to increase funding for and accelerate essential work needed to prepare sites for construction and to ensure communities are meaningfully involved in the cleanup process. In 2023, EPA continued to fund Superfund pre-construction activities such as remedial investigations, feasibility studies, remedial designs, and community involvement at double pre-Bipartisan Infrastructure Law levels.
In 1980, Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERLCA), 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.
To see a list of the 25 sites to receive funding for new cleanup projects, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-sites-new-construction-projects-receive-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-funding
To see highlights from the first two years of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding at Superfund sites, visit EPA’s Cleaning Up Superfund Sites: Highlights of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding website.
For more information about EPA’s Superfund program, visit EPA’s Superfund website.
###
EPA and DOJ file complaint against Bruneau, Idaho, ranch alleging significant violations that threaten fisheries, wetlands and wildlife areas
WASHINGTON – Today, Feb. 27, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a complaint on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) against Ace Black Ranches LLP of Bruneau, Idaho, alleging significant violations of the Clean Water Act affecting the Bruneau River in Idaho.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho, alleges that Ace Black Ranches illegally discharged fill material to the Bruneau River and adjacent wetlands, significantly threatening fisheries, neighboring properties and downstream communities. The illegal activities include mining and processing gravel extracted from the river and using heavy equipment to clear and level dozens of acres of wetlands – all without permits required by the Clean Water Act.
“The complaint in this case alleges that Ace Blank Ranches treated the Bruneau River and state-owned wetlands along the river as private property that could be damaged or destroyed for sand and gravel mining, without any effort to comply with the requirements of the Clean Water Act that protects our Nation’s waters from such abuses,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “EPA will hold companies accountable when they seek to profit from conducting illegal activities in American rivers and streams, destroying adjacent wetlands that protect those waters from pollution, and threatening fisheries, neighboring properties, and downstream communities.”
“Wetlands play critical roles in our ecosystems and serve as buffers to climate change,” said Casey Sixkiller, Regional Administrator of EPA’s Region 10 office in Seattle. “Enforcement actions like this are clear reminders that EPA and its federal and state partners will enforce the law to protect increasingly valuable and fragile water resources that we all hold in common and rely upon.”
During inspections of the property, review of historical aerial imagery and through other available information, representatives from EPA observed and documented sand and gravel mining, processing and hauling equipment located on the site; heavy machinery tracks and evidence of mechanical scraping, pushing or pulling, in and next to the Bruneau River and adjacent wetlands; and large piles of sand and gravel near the Bruneau River, along its banks and in adjacent wetlands. EPA representatives also collected evidence of wetland clearing, grading and filling to install and operate center-pivot irrigation systems at the property, construction of roads in the Bruneau River and adjacent wetlands, and placing fill material in the river and along its banks.
The complaint alleges that all these activities were unauthorized and caused significant damage to fish and wildlife habitat in and adjacent to the Bruneau River, including at land owned by the state of Idaho within the C.J. Strike Wildlife Management Area, which provides hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing opportunities.
EPA first learned of the alleged violations via a complaint from a member of the public to the state of Idaho regarding roads built across the Bruneau River.
The Bruneau River and its adjacent wetlands are considered "waters of the United States" and are subject to protection under the Clean Water Act. Activities that discharge pollutants to rivers and the adjacent wetlands require Clean Water Act permits.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho, alleges that Ace Black Ranches illegally discharged fill material to the Bruneau River and adjacent wetlands, significantly threatening fisheries, neighboring properties and downstream communities. The illegal activities include mining and processing gravel extracted from the river and using heavy equipment to clear and level dozens of acres of wetlands – all without permits required by the Clean Water Act.
“The complaint in this case alleges that Ace Blank Ranches treated the Bruneau River and state-owned wetlands along the river as private property that could be damaged or destroyed for sand and gravel mining, without any effort to comply with the requirements of the Clean Water Act that protects our Nation’s waters from such abuses,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “EPA will hold companies accountable when they seek to profit from conducting illegal activities in American rivers and streams, destroying adjacent wetlands that protect those waters from pollution, and threatening fisheries, neighboring properties, and downstream communities.”
“Wetlands play critical roles in our ecosystems and serve as buffers to climate change,” said Casey Sixkiller, Regional Administrator of EPA’s Region 10 office in Seattle. “Enforcement actions like this are clear reminders that EPA and its federal and state partners will enforce the law to protect increasingly valuable and fragile water resources that we all hold in common and rely upon.”
During inspections of the property, review of historical aerial imagery and through other available information, representatives from EPA observed and documented sand and gravel mining, processing and hauling equipment located on the site; heavy machinery tracks and evidence of mechanical scraping, pushing or pulling, in and next to the Bruneau River and adjacent wetlands; and large piles of sand and gravel near the Bruneau River, along its banks and in adjacent wetlands. EPA representatives also collected evidence of wetland clearing, grading and filling to install and operate center-pivot irrigation systems at the property, construction of roads in the Bruneau River and adjacent wetlands, and placing fill material in the river and along its banks.
The complaint alleges that all these activities were unauthorized and caused significant damage to fish and wildlife habitat in and adjacent to the Bruneau River, including at land owned by the state of Idaho within the C.J. Strike Wildlife Management Area, which provides hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing opportunities.
EPA first learned of the alleged violations via a complaint from a member of the public to the state of Idaho regarding roads built across the Bruneau River.
The Bruneau River and its adjacent wetlands are considered "waters of the United States" and are subject to protection under the Clean Water Act. Activities that discharge pollutants to rivers and the adjacent wetlands require Clean Water Act permits.
EPA announces cleanup will begin at the East Troy Contaminated Aquifer Superfund site in Ohio as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda
CHICAGO (February 27, 2024) — Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a third and final wave of more than $1 billion for cleanup projects at more than 100 Superfund sites across the country as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. This funding is made possible by the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will launch new cleanup projects at 25 Superfund sites, including the East Troy Contaminated Aquifer Superfund site in Troy, Ohio.
“After three rounds of investments, EPA is delivering on President Biden’s full promise to invest in cleaning up America’s most contaminated Superfund sites,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “This final round of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding has made it possible for EPA to initiate clean ups at every single Superfund site where construction work is ready to begin. This is an incredible milestone in our efforts to clean up and protect communities, deliver local jobs, enhance economic activity, and improve people’s lives for years to come.”
“Getting legacy contamination out of communities is at the core of EPA’s mission,” said Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore. “Thanks to the President's Investing in America agenda, EPA has the resources to clean up these sites much faster than we otherwise could.”
"Ohio appreciates U.S. EPA’s investment at the East Troy Contaminated Aquifer site," said Ohio EPA Director Anne Vogel. "This money will go towards cleanup and protecting drinking water for families that live in the area."
Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding announced today, cleanup will begin at the East Troy Contaminated Aquifer Superfund site. The funding will be used for the excavation and off-site disposal of contaminated soil at the East Water Street source area of the site. This will also prevent migration of contamination to potential drinking water sources. Volatile organic compounds contaminated groundwater, soil and indoor air in some homes and businesses. In 2007, EPA installed vapor abatement systems in 16 homes and an elementary school to address the indoor air health risk in the area.
In addition to the new cleanup announced, today’s investment supports continued cleanup work at the Little Scioto River Superfund site in Ohio.
The Little Scioto River Superfund site is an 8.5-mile stretch located just west of Marion. BIL funding will be used to clean up 3.5-miles of the river. Nearly 5-miles have already been cleaned during two removal actions at site in June 2002 and May 2006, removing a combined total of over 48,000 cubic yards of creosote contaminated waste and sediment.
Today’s investment is the final wave of funding from the $3.5 billion allocated for Superfund cleanup work in the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. So far, EPA has deployed more than $2 billion for cleanup activities at more than 150 Superfund National Priorities List sites. Thanks to President Biden’s commitment to addressing legacy pollution and improving public health, EPA has been able to provide as much funding for cleanup work in the past two years as it did in the previous five years while delivering on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
EPA is committed to continuing to carry out this work advancing environmental justice and incorporating equity considerations into all aspects of the Superfund cleanup process. More than one in four Black and Hispanic Americans live within three miles of a Superfund site. These investments are restoring the health and economic vitality of communities that have been exposed to pervasive legacy pollution. Thus far, nearly 80% of the funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has gone to sites in communities with potential environmental justice concerns. Out of the 25 sites to receive funding for new cleanup projects, more than 75% are in communities with potential environmental justice concerns based on data from EJSCREEN.
The historic investment made by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law strengthens every part of the Superfund program, making a dramatic difference in EPA’s ability to tackle threats to human health and the environment. In addition to funding cleanup construction work, the investment is enabling EPA to increase funding for and accelerate essential work needed to prepare sites for construction and to ensure communities are meaningfully involved in the cleanup process. In 2023, EPA continued to fund Superfund pre-construction activities such as remedial investigations, feasibility studies, remedial designs, and community involvement at double pre-Bipartisan Infrastructure Law levels.
In 1980, Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERLCA), 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.
To see a list of the 25 sites to receive funding for new cleanup projects, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-sites-new-construction-projects-receive-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-funding
To see highlights from the first two years of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding at Superfund sites, visit EPA’s Cleaning Up Superfund Sites: Highlights of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding website.
For more information about EPA’s Superfund program, visit EPA’s Superfund website.
###
“After three rounds of investments, EPA is delivering on President Biden’s full promise to invest in cleaning up America’s most contaminated Superfund sites,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “This final round of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding has made it possible for EPA to initiate clean ups at every single Superfund site where construction work is ready to begin. This is an incredible milestone in our efforts to clean up and protect communities, deliver local jobs, enhance economic activity, and improve people’s lives for years to come.”
“Getting legacy contamination out of communities is at the core of EPA’s mission,” said Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore. “Thanks to the President's Investing in America agenda, EPA has the resources to clean up these sites much faster than we otherwise could.”
"Ohio appreciates U.S. EPA’s investment at the East Troy Contaminated Aquifer site," said Ohio EPA Director Anne Vogel. "This money will go towards cleanup and protecting drinking water for families that live in the area."
Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding announced today, cleanup will begin at the East Troy Contaminated Aquifer Superfund site. The funding will be used for the excavation and off-site disposal of contaminated soil at the East Water Street source area of the site. This will also prevent migration of contamination to potential drinking water sources. Volatile organic compounds contaminated groundwater, soil and indoor air in some homes and businesses. In 2007, EPA installed vapor abatement systems in 16 homes and an elementary school to address the indoor air health risk in the area.
In addition to the new cleanup announced, today’s investment supports continued cleanup work at the Little Scioto River Superfund site in Ohio.
The Little Scioto River Superfund site is an 8.5-mile stretch located just west of Marion. BIL funding will be used to clean up 3.5-miles of the river. Nearly 5-miles have already been cleaned during two removal actions at site in June 2002 and May 2006, removing a combined total of over 48,000 cubic yards of creosote contaminated waste and sediment.
Today’s investment is the final wave of funding from the $3.5 billion allocated for Superfund cleanup work in the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. So far, EPA has deployed more than $2 billion for cleanup activities at more than 150 Superfund National Priorities List sites. Thanks to President Biden’s commitment to addressing legacy pollution and improving public health, EPA has been able to provide as much funding for cleanup work in the past two years as it did in the previous five years while delivering on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
EPA is committed to continuing to carry out this work advancing environmental justice and incorporating equity considerations into all aspects of the Superfund cleanup process. More than one in four Black and Hispanic Americans live within three miles of a Superfund site. These investments are restoring the health and economic vitality of communities that have been exposed to pervasive legacy pollution. Thus far, nearly 80% of the funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has gone to sites in communities with potential environmental justice concerns. Out of the 25 sites to receive funding for new cleanup projects, more than 75% are in communities with potential environmental justice concerns based on data from EJSCREEN.
The historic investment made by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law strengthens every part of the Superfund program, making a dramatic difference in EPA’s ability to tackle threats to human health and the environment. In addition to funding cleanup construction work, the investment is enabling EPA to increase funding for and accelerate essential work needed to prepare sites for construction and to ensure communities are meaningfully involved in the cleanup process. In 2023, EPA continued to fund Superfund pre-construction activities such as remedial investigations, feasibility studies, remedial designs, and community involvement at double pre-Bipartisan Infrastructure Law levels.
In 1980, Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERLCA), 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.
To see a list of the 25 sites to receive funding for new cleanup projects, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-sites-new-construction-projects-receive-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-funding
To see highlights from the first two years of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding at Superfund sites, visit EPA’s Cleaning Up Superfund Sites: Highlights of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding website.
For more information about EPA’s Superfund program, visit EPA’s Superfund website.
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Biden-Harris Administration Announces $74 Million WIFIA Loan to Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency in Santa Cruz
SAN FRANCISCO – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced two Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loans totaling $74 million to the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency in Santa Cruz County, California. EPA’s loan will support alternative water supply projects to reduce the demand for groundwater.
“Investing in local water infrastructure is one of the best bets a community can make to secure a climate resilient future,” said EPA Acting Assistant Administrator for Office of Water Bruno Pigott. “Santa Cruz will see firsthand the benefits of EPA’s work to invest in America while creating 500-plus jobs and saving millions of dollars for the community.
In drought-stricken regions, water utilities look for ways to ensure water supplies are resilient. The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency’s Water Sustainability Projects are improving system resilience by investing this WIFIA loan into projects that will provide alternative surface water supplies and reduce demand on the existing groundwater supply by nearly 25% by 2040. They will achieve this by modifying a naturally occurring lake to create a new seasonal surface water source that will be treated and distributed to customers to offset groundwater demand during the summer months and upgrade the existing filter plant and construct a pump station, recharge basin, and associated pipeline. This project will divert water from nearby shallow lake systems, called sloughs, through recharge basins into shallow aquifers. The recharged water will be provided to agricultural customers for irrigation purposes.
“The closing of these two WIFIA loans provides PV Water with the funding necessary to complete the College Lake Project and partially fund the Watsonville Slough System Project, two important water supply projects that will help PV Water achieve sustainable groundwater resources,” said Pajaro Valley Water Board Chair, Amy Newell.
Since its creation, EPA’s WIFIA program has announced nearly $20 billion in financing to support over $43 billion in water infrastructure projects that are strengthening drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure while creating over 140,000 jobs.
The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency is utilizing the financial flexibilities available with WIFIA loans to help keep rates affordable. By financing its projects with WIFIA loans, they will save $24 million and create over 500 jobs.
Learn more about EPA’s WIFIA Program and water infrastructure investments under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Background
Established by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, the WIFIA program is a federal loan program administered by EPA. The WIFIA program aims to accelerate investment in the nation’s water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental credit assistance for regionally and nationally significant projects. The WIFIA program has an active pipeline of pending applications for projects that will result in billions of dollars in water infrastructure investment and thousands of jobs.EPA made the seventh round of WIFIA financing available and is currently accepting letters of interest for WIFIA and SWIFIA loans. $6.5 billion is available through WIFIA, and $1 billion is available through SWIFIA, which is a loan program exclusively for State infrastructure financing authority borrowers. EPA is currently accepting letters of interest for WIFIA and SWIFIA loans. Learn more about submitting a letter of interest for a WIFIA loan.In addition to WIFIA loans, there are many federal funding resources available for communities and utilities to improve vital water and wastewater resources. President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a once-in-a-generation investment in our nation’s infrastructure and competitiveness. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides a historic $50 billion investment in upgrading critical water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure.
Learn about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
“Investing in local water infrastructure is one of the best bets a community can make to secure a climate resilient future,” said EPA Acting Assistant Administrator for Office of Water Bruno Pigott. “Santa Cruz will see firsthand the benefits of EPA’s work to invest in America while creating 500-plus jobs and saving millions of dollars for the community.
In drought-stricken regions, water utilities look for ways to ensure water supplies are resilient. The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency’s Water Sustainability Projects are improving system resilience by investing this WIFIA loan into projects that will provide alternative surface water supplies and reduce demand on the existing groundwater supply by nearly 25% by 2040. They will achieve this by modifying a naturally occurring lake to create a new seasonal surface water source that will be treated and distributed to customers to offset groundwater demand during the summer months and upgrade the existing filter plant and construct a pump station, recharge basin, and associated pipeline. This project will divert water from nearby shallow lake systems, called sloughs, through recharge basins into shallow aquifers. The recharged water will be provided to agricultural customers for irrigation purposes.
“The closing of these two WIFIA loans provides PV Water with the funding necessary to complete the College Lake Project and partially fund the Watsonville Slough System Project, two important water supply projects that will help PV Water achieve sustainable groundwater resources,” said Pajaro Valley Water Board Chair, Amy Newell.
Since its creation, EPA’s WIFIA program has announced nearly $20 billion in financing to support over $43 billion in water infrastructure projects that are strengthening drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure while creating over 140,000 jobs.
The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency is utilizing the financial flexibilities available with WIFIA loans to help keep rates affordable. By financing its projects with WIFIA loans, they will save $24 million and create over 500 jobs.
Learn more about EPA’s WIFIA Program and water infrastructure investments under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Background
Established by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, the WIFIA program is a federal loan program administered by EPA. The WIFIA program aims to accelerate investment in the nation’s water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental credit assistance for regionally and nationally significant projects. The WIFIA program has an active pipeline of pending applications for projects that will result in billions of dollars in water infrastructure investment and thousands of jobs.EPA made the seventh round of WIFIA financing available and is currently accepting letters of interest for WIFIA and SWIFIA loans. $6.5 billion is available through WIFIA, and $1 billion is available through SWIFIA, which is a loan program exclusively for State infrastructure financing authority borrowers. EPA is currently accepting letters of interest for WIFIA and SWIFIA loans. Learn more about submitting a letter of interest for a WIFIA loan.In addition to WIFIA loans, there are many federal funding resources available for communities and utilities to improve vital water and wastewater resources. President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a once-in-a-generation investment in our nation’s infrastructure and competitiveness. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides a historic $50 billion investment in upgrading critical water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure.
Learn about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
EPA Announces New Cleanup Projects in Kansas as Part of Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America Agenda
LENEXA, KAN. (FEB. 27, 2024) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a third and final wave of over $1 billion for cleanup projects at more than 100 Superfund sites across the country, as part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda.
This funding is made possible by the president’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will launch new cleanup projects at 25 Superfund sites, including the Cherokee County Superfund Site in Kansas.
“This historic investment into our communities from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will provide additional funding for the cleanup project at the Cherokee County Superfund Site in southeast Kansas,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister. “Historic mine waste in the area has contaminated residential and non-residential areas. Cleaning up this site is essential to protecting the health of our communities and the environment.”
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds have been and continue to be important building blocks to improving the health and quality of drinking water for all Kansans,” said Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Janet Stanek. “The investment in the cleanup at Kansas sites is crucial to improving a sustainable water infrastructure across the state.”
Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding announced today, the Cherokee County Superfund Site will have additional funding to continue cleanup projects. The site is a part of the larger, regional mining area known as the Tri-State Mining District. Years of widespread lead and zinc mining have created mine tailings covering over 4,000 acres. The mine tailings have contaminated residential and non-residential soils, surface water, sediment, and groundwater with lead, zinc, and cadmium. Site work is designated to nine operable units with varying work statuses.
In addition to the Cherokee County site and 25 new cleanups announced, today’s investment supports continued construction at a number of other Superfund sites across Kansas:
In Wichita, at the 57th and North Broadway Streets Superfund Site, EPA is moving toward the remedial action phase and will install a groundwater extraction/treatment system to treat a contaminated groundwater plume.
In Caney, at the Caney Residential Yards Superfund Site, remedial project managers are currently working with community members to gain access to residential properties to facilitate sampling for lead in residential soils and, if a property qualifies, commence with residential property remediation.
In Great Bend, at the Plating Inc. Superfund Site, work recently began to address a 2-mile-long groundwater plume that was contaminated with hexavalent chromium. The source of the contaminant plume was from leaking in-ground plating baths and an outside air vent that discharged chrome particulates onto the ground.
Thousands of contaminated sites exist nationally due to hazardous waste being dumped, left out in the open, or otherwise improperly managed. These sites can include toxic chemicals from manufacturing facilities, processing plants, landfills, and mining, and present risks to human health and the well-being of local communities in urban, suburban, and rural areas.
“After three rounds of investments, EPA is delivering on President Biden’s full promise to invest in cleaning up America’s most contaminated Superfund sites,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “This final round of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding has made it possible for EPA to initiate clean ups at every single Superfund site where construction work is ready to begin. This is an incredible milestone in our efforts to clean up and protect communities, deliver local jobs, enhance economic activity, and improve people’s lives for years to come.”
Today’s investment is the final wave of funding from the $3.5 billion allocated for Superfund cleanup work in the president’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. So far, EPA has deployed over $2 billion for cleanup activities at more than 150 Superfund National Priorities List sites. Thanks to President Biden’s commitment to addressing legacy pollution and improving public health, EPA has been able to provide as much funding for cleanup work in the past two years as it did in the previous five years, while delivering on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
EPA is committed to continue carrying out this work, advancing environmental justice and incorporating equity considerations into all aspects of the Superfund cleanup process. More than one in four Black and Hispanic Americans live within 3 miles of a Superfund site. These investments are restoring the health and economic vitality of communities that have been exposed to pervasive legacy pollution. Thus far, nearly 80% of the funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has gone to sites in communities with potential environmental justice concerns. Of the 25 sites to receive funding for new cleanup projects, over 75% are in communities with potential environmental justice concerns, based on data from EPA’s EJScreen.
The historic investment made by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law strengthens every part of the Superfund Program, making a dramatic difference in EPA’s ability to tackle threats to human health and the environment. In addition to funding cleanup construction work, this investment is enabling EPA to increase funding for and accelerate the essential work needed to prepare sites for construction and to ensure that communities are meaningfully involved in the cleanup process. In 2023, EPA continued to fund Superfund pre-construction activities, such as remedial investigations, feasibility studies, remedial designs, and community involvement at double pre-Bipartisan Infrastructure Law levels.
In 1980, Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERLCA), commonly 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.
View a list of the 25 sites to receive funding for new cleanup projects.
View highlights from the first two years of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding at Superfund sites.
Learn more about EPA’s Superfund Program.
# # #
Learn more about EPA Region 7
View all Region 7 news releases
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter: @EPARegion7
This funding is made possible by the president’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will launch new cleanup projects at 25 Superfund sites, including the Cherokee County Superfund Site in Kansas.
“This historic investment into our communities from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will provide additional funding for the cleanup project at the Cherokee County Superfund Site in southeast Kansas,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister. “Historic mine waste in the area has contaminated residential and non-residential areas. Cleaning up this site is essential to protecting the health of our communities and the environment.”
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds have been and continue to be important building blocks to improving the health and quality of drinking water for all Kansans,” said Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Janet Stanek. “The investment in the cleanup at Kansas sites is crucial to improving a sustainable water infrastructure across the state.”
Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding announced today, the Cherokee County Superfund Site will have additional funding to continue cleanup projects. The site is a part of the larger, regional mining area known as the Tri-State Mining District. Years of widespread lead and zinc mining have created mine tailings covering over 4,000 acres. The mine tailings have contaminated residential and non-residential soils, surface water, sediment, and groundwater with lead, zinc, and cadmium. Site work is designated to nine operable units with varying work statuses.
In addition to the Cherokee County site and 25 new cleanups announced, today’s investment supports continued construction at a number of other Superfund sites across Kansas:
In Wichita, at the 57th and North Broadway Streets Superfund Site, EPA is moving toward the remedial action phase and will install a groundwater extraction/treatment system to treat a contaminated groundwater plume.
In Caney, at the Caney Residential Yards Superfund Site, remedial project managers are currently working with community members to gain access to residential properties to facilitate sampling for lead in residential soils and, if a property qualifies, commence with residential property remediation.
In Great Bend, at the Plating Inc. Superfund Site, work recently began to address a 2-mile-long groundwater plume that was contaminated with hexavalent chromium. The source of the contaminant plume was from leaking in-ground plating baths and an outside air vent that discharged chrome particulates onto the ground.
Thousands of contaminated sites exist nationally due to hazardous waste being dumped, left out in the open, or otherwise improperly managed. These sites can include toxic chemicals from manufacturing facilities, processing plants, landfills, and mining, and present risks to human health and the well-being of local communities in urban, suburban, and rural areas.
“After three rounds of investments, EPA is delivering on President Biden’s full promise to invest in cleaning up America’s most contaminated Superfund sites,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “This final round of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding has made it possible for EPA to initiate clean ups at every single Superfund site where construction work is ready to begin. This is an incredible milestone in our efforts to clean up and protect communities, deliver local jobs, enhance economic activity, and improve people’s lives for years to come.”
Today’s investment is the final wave of funding from the $3.5 billion allocated for Superfund cleanup work in the president’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. So far, EPA has deployed over $2 billion for cleanup activities at more than 150 Superfund National Priorities List sites. Thanks to President Biden’s commitment to addressing legacy pollution and improving public health, EPA has been able to provide as much funding for cleanup work in the past two years as it did in the previous five years, while delivering on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
EPA is committed to continue carrying out this work, advancing environmental justice and incorporating equity considerations into all aspects of the Superfund cleanup process. More than one in four Black and Hispanic Americans live within 3 miles of a Superfund site. These investments are restoring the health and economic vitality of communities that have been exposed to pervasive legacy pollution. Thus far, nearly 80% of the funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has gone to sites in communities with potential environmental justice concerns. Of the 25 sites to receive funding for new cleanup projects, over 75% are in communities with potential environmental justice concerns, based on data from EPA’s EJScreen.
The historic investment made by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law strengthens every part of the Superfund Program, making a dramatic difference in EPA’s ability to tackle threats to human health and the environment. In addition to funding cleanup construction work, this investment is enabling EPA to increase funding for and accelerate the essential work needed to prepare sites for construction and to ensure that communities are meaningfully involved in the cleanup process. In 2023, EPA continued to fund Superfund pre-construction activities, such as remedial investigations, feasibility studies, remedial designs, and community involvement at double pre-Bipartisan Infrastructure Law levels.
In 1980, Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERLCA), commonly 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.
View a list of the 25 sites to receive funding for new cleanup projects.
View highlights from the first two years of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding at Superfund sites.
Learn more about EPA’s Superfund Program.
# # #
Learn more about EPA Region 7
View all Region 7 news releases
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter: @EPARegion7