Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine Removed from EPA Superfund List
BOSTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is deleting the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, located in Kittery, Maine, from the National Priorities List (NPL), commonly referred to as Superfund.
While EPA has determined that site cleanup work at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard site is complete, with no further site remediation activity required, ongoing operation and maintenance, land use controls, and monitoring activities will continue at the site as needed. Further, the Navy will continue to conduct comprehensive follow-up reviews every five years and submit them to EPA – even after NPL deletion – to ensure the Superfund remedies continue to protect human health and the environment.
"This is a day to celebrate the combined persistence and hard work of the Navy, EPA, and Maine! EPA deletes sites or parts of sites from the Superfund list when no further construction is required to protect human health or the environment," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "EPA is very pleased that after many years of working with the Navy and other parties on this complex investigation and cleanup work, we've achieved a major milestone to get this site where it is today and remove it from the National Priorities List."
"The successful cleanup of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is the result of 30 years of collaboration between the state and federal government," said Senator Susan Collins. "It is great news that the Shipyard is no longer considered a Superfund site, and as a longtime supporter of the Superfund program, I am pleased to see those investments paying off. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) plays an important role in our national defense—supporting our shipbuilding priorities and providing good-paying jobs to many Maine people," said Senator Angus King. "The recent news that PNSY is being removed from EPA's Superfund list is an encouraging step to know that their efforts to address the toxic threats on its grounds have made a difference. While there is still work to be done, and regular reviews will continue, this EPA decision is a welcome acknowledgement of their hard work thus far."
"Portsmouth Naval Shipyard performs an incredible service to our country in maintaining and upgrading the Navy's submarine fleet, while being a critical pillar to Southern Maine's economy. After nearly 30 years of research, assessment, and clean-up activities, today's announcement from EPA is exciting and welcome news for the shipyard's workers, surrounding communities, and importantly—for the environment. As ranking member of the House Appropriations Interior and Environment Subcommittee which oversees funding for this critical clean-up program, I am thrilled that the shipyard is now considered environmentally safe and healthy. Today marks the start of a new chapter for Portsmouth Harbor, where shipbuilding has thrived for hundreds of years," said Congresswoman Chellie Pingree.
EPA formally proposed deleting the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard site from the NPL on August 16, 2023 and provided a 30-day public review and comment opportunity. No comments were received.
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard site is one of three sites nationally that are being deleted in full or partially from the NPL today. The NPL includes the nation's most serious uncontrolled or abandoned releases of contamination.
Site Background:
The 278-acre Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is a restricted access military facility located on Seavey Island in the Piscataqua River at the mouth of Portsmouth Harbor between Kittery, Maine, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Shipbuilding activities in Portsmouth Harbor date back to 1690.
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard was established as a government facility in 1800. The first government-built submarine was designed and constructed there during World War I, and a large number of submarines have been designed, constructed, and repaired at this facility since 1917. Today, the shipyard employs approximately 5,000 civilians and approximately 200 active-duty military personnel with the primary mission being the conversion, overhaul, and repair of submarines for the US Navy.
Contamination at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard resulted from shipbuilding and submarine repair work, landfill operations, spills and leaks from industrial operations and piping, storage of batteries and other materials, filling of land, and outfalls to the river. Seven areas on and around the Shipyard were identified for investigation. Contamination detected in groundwater, soils, and sediments include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs), metals, and benzene. After the site was added to the NPL in 1994, extensive cleanup work was conducted over the following decades to address contamination issues, which have now been completed. The State of Maine has reviewed and commented on this action and concurs with EPA's decision to delete this site from the National Priorities List.
Long-term stewardship will be ongoing to maintain institutional controls, security and ensure future land use is consistent with the remediation. EPA will continue to assess the environmental remediation work performed at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Superfund Site every five years to ensure the remedy continues to protect human health and the environment, as required by the Superfund law. A proposed or final deletion from the NPL does not prevent future actions under the Superfund law.
The NPL tracks the nation's most contaminated sites that threaten human health or the environment. Sites on the list are eligible for cleanup under the Superfund program and once all the remedies are successfully implemented, EPA removes sites or parts of sites from the list.
More information:
EPA information on the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Superfund site, including past historical documents, reports on remedial activities, etc. www.epa.gov/superfund/portsmouth
All Site related materials can be found on at: https://www.navfac.navy.mil/Business-Lines/Environmental/Products-and-Services/Environmental-Restoration/Mid-Atlantic/Portsmouth-NSY/
All materials related to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Superfund site can also be accessed at:
Rice Public Library
8 Wentworth Street
Kittery, ME 03904
(207) 439-1553
Portsmouth Public Library
175 Parrott Street
Portsmouth, NH 03801
(603) 427-1540
