Site Added to USEPA National Priorities List
USEPA Adds Site to National Priorities List, Proposes Four Others
On March 27, 2023, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) announced that it is adding the East Basin Road Groundwater site in New Castle, Delaware to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL). In addition, the USEPA is proposing to add four additional sites to the NPL. These are sites where the USEPA deems releases of contamination pose significant human health and environmental risks. The USEPA noted that President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will accelerate the USEPA’s work to clean up these contaminated sites with a $3.5 billion investment in the Superfund Remedial Program.
In February, the USEPA announced the second wave of approximately $1 billion in funding from the $3.5 billion allocated for Superfund cleanup work. With this investment, the USEPA started 81 new cleanup projects in 2022—four times as many as the year before. The USEPA plans to use the most recent wave of funding to start new cleanup projects at 22 Superfund sites and expedite over 100 other ongoing cleanups across the country.
The USEPA is proposing to add the following sites to the NPL:
- Federated Metals Corp Whiting in Hammond, Indiana
- Capitol Lakes in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Fansteel Metals/FMRI in Muskogee, Oklahoma
- Lukachukai Mountains Mining District in Cove, Navajo Nation, Arizona
When determining if a site should be added to the NPL, the USEPA utilizes information from initial limited investigations to assess the relative potential of sites to pose a threat to human health or the environment. After a site is listed on the NPL, the site must undergo a robust Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS) to determine the nature and extent of contamination at the site, test whether certain technologies are capable of treating the contamination, and evaluate the potential performance and cost of technologies that could be used to clean up the site.
Inclusion of a site on the NPL does not in itself reflect a judgment of the activities of its owner or operator, nor does it assign liability to any person or party. However, considering the potential costs and long-term liability associated with remediation of Superfund sites, potentially responsible parties (PRPs) need experienced consultants to efficiently navigate the Superfund process. Please click below if you are involved in these sites and would like to discuss potential implications or learn more about Roux’s services.
