Superfund Accomplishments Quarterly Report - Fiscal Year 2024

EPA’s Superfund Accomplishments Report highlights the important work of EPA staff and partners to clean up the nation’s most contaminated land and respond to environmental emergencies and natural disasters. Superfund cleanups protect human health and the environment, while also supporting community revitalization efforts and economic opportunities through redevelopment.

With its quarterly updates, EPA’s Superfund Accomplishments Report publishes stories as they happen. Please check back regularly for new stories and program highlights!

Table of Contents

2024 Superfund Annual Accomplishments Metrics

Check out the Fiscal Year 2024 Superfund Annual Metrics for a snapshot of all the work EPA accomplished throughout the year!

In the News

The Superfund Accomplishments Report isn’t the only place you can read about the great work taking place. The Superfund program often shares its biggest successes through press releases and other national announcements.

Click on the headlines below to read our most notable recent Superfund success stories and check out EPA's News Releases for the latest EPA News!

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Superfund

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invested $3.5 billion in environmental remediation at Superfund National Priorities List sites and reinstates the Superfund chemical taxes, making it one of the largest investments in American history to address the legacy pollution that harms the public health of communities and neighborhoods.

Innovative Technology Used to Significantly Reduce Contamination at North Carolina Superfund Site

Thanks to $8.4 million in BIL funding, EPA constructed and is operating an in-situ thermal remediation system at the ABC One Hour Cleaners Superfund Site in Jacksonville, North Carolina to address soil contaminated with tetrachloroethylene (PCE), a nonflammable colorless liquid that, when consumed or inhaled, can cause adverse health effects. This critical action addresses the soil contamination and reduces the amount of PCE leaching into groundwater, as well as the potential for vapor intrusion at nearby businesses. To date, the ISTR system treated an 8,692 square-foot area within the site boundary and cleaned up 11,156 cubic yards of contaminated soil.

Find out more about ABC Superfund cleanup actions here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAs-81XoQZ4.

BIL Funding Allows EPA to Conduct Cleanup Actions in Tampa, Florida

BIL Funding of nearly $3 million allowed EPA to implement a remedy at the Southern Solvents, Inc. Superfund site that will support restoration of a valuable drinking water resource. EPA installed equipment to remove and treat localized contamination by heating the subsurface soil to volatilize and capture the contaminants using in-situ thermal and soil vapor extraction.

Significant Construction Milestone Achieved at Connecticut Superfund Site Thanks to BIL Funding

A difficult and logistically challenging construction activity at the Raymark Industries Superfund Site was completed in April with a “mega-pour” event that brought 71 concrete mixing trucks to the site to finish building the floor and foundation of a new pump station that will manage stormwater generated by EPA’s soon-to-be constructed 10-acre low permeability hazardous waste cap on the site. For nearly 12 hours, mixing trucks took turns pouring 700 cubic yards of concrete to construct a three-foot-thick concrete slab that will help prevent cold joints that could weaken a foundation. The site team worked closely with town officials and police to ensure that the operation caused as little disruption as possible. EPA conducted significant public outreach ahead of the event, including sharing an information sheet, to alert nearby residences and businesses.

BIL Funding Leads to the Successful Completion of a Cleanup Action at Smokey Mountain Smelters Site

EPA’s cleanup action at the Smokey Mountain Smelters Superfund Site in Knox County, Tennessee was completed in April 2024. The cleanup action, accelerated through $2.6 million of BIL funding, makes it one of the first BIL-funded cleanup actions completed in the Southeast. During the scope of the cleanup, approximately 15,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil from the former processing building was excavated. In addition, 11,000 gallons of a treatment solution was injected into shallow groundwater wells to treat contaminated groundwater. Two of three site parcels were purchased by a private party who has plans for future redevelopment of the site.

Pictured above at Smokey Mountain Smelters with Peter Johnson, Region 4 Remedial Project Manager (with vest), Lee Barron (Tennessee Department Environmental Control), Caleb Properties (new property owners), and the Remedial Action Contractor Project Manager.

Addressing Lead Contamination at Superfund Sites

Residential Lead Cleanup Work and Protection of Children’s Environmental Health in Southside Chattanooga, Tennessee

Using BIL funding, EPA is increasing the number of lead-contaminated yards cleaned up at the Southside Chattanooga Lead Superfund Site this year by 20 percent. The site is the largest residential lead site in EPA’s Region 4. Analytical results from soil sampled in residential yards revealed that 1,459 of the 3,488 properties sampled are above the current clean up number and require remediation. To date, 154,000 tons of contaminated soil has been removed from impacted properties. A total of 881 parcels have been remediated.

Shown above is the rear of an excavated yard at the Southside Chattanooga Superfund site.

Protecting Human Health and the Environment

Legacy pollution from past industrial activity impacts thousands of sites across the country, often in communities already overburdened with other environmental stressors. The Superfund program cleans up these sites and ensures that the remedies remain protective for years to come.

Cross-Agency Collaboration Makes Progress on PFAS Contamination Cleanups in Horsham, Pennsylvania

EPA participated in a PFAS Technology Demonstration Day that showcased various PFAS treatment technologies piloted at the Former Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, Willow Grove, and Biddle Air National Guard sites. The pilot projects included foam fractionation, a proprietary technology for the treatment and on-site regeneration of an ion exchange resin, and another proprietary material specifically targeting PFAS for desorption from groundwater. These systems utilize extraction wells installed during previous Navy and Air National Guard pilot studies to extract and treat PFAS. Approximately 70 individuals participated, including Restoration Advisory Board members, regulators, local officials, local water authorities, and Department of Defense staff from throughout the country. The three projects were carried out on a small scale at the sites and will be scaled up further by partnering with commercial vendors through special funding provided by the Defensive Innovation Unit.

EPA’s Time Critical Response Protects Public Health from Toxic Fumes on Commercial Property

EPA executed an Indoor Air Vapor Intrusion Urgent Response Action to reduce levels of trichloroethylene (TCE) at a commercial property adjacent to a source area in the San Fernando Valley Superfund site in North Hollywood, California. TCE is a volatile organic compound used mostly in industrial and commercial processes, is a carcinogen, and, when inhaled, can affect the central nervous system and other health risks. After routine testing, EPA immediately initiated a response to investigate the levels of TCE and communicate with the property owner, the City of Glendale, and the community. Air purifiers were deployed, and an EPA team performed comprehensive building surveys, a preferential pathways evaluation, and TCE mitigation actions. EPA’s Mobile HAPSITE® screening of preferential pathways identified significantly elevated concentrations of TCE emanating from cracks throughout the floor in the 9,000 square foot building. EPA performed a Time Critical Removal Action to epoxy the floor to prevent further migration and initiated efforts to extend an existing Soil Vapor Extraction system to bring active remediation to the property.

Green Remediation Successfully Piloted at Mississippi Superfund Site

EPA selected a climate-resilient remedy for the Kerr McGee Superfund Site in Columbus, Mississippi, after a pilot study involving 1,900 hybrid poplar trees successfully remediated the groundwater and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by avoiding the need for pumping and treating of the groundwater. The use of hybrid poplar trees will create an inward hydraulic gradient that prevents impacted groundwater from flowing through or beneath the future barrier wall. In addition, phytoremediation will provide treatment for dissolved contaminants of concern in shallow groundwater through rhizodegradation and contaminant uptake. This will enhance the effectiveness of the remedy in controlling groundwater contaminant migration outside of the source areas.

Significant Cleanup Progress Continues at Libby Asbestos Superfund Site in Libby, Montana

EPA partially deleted the Libby Asbestos Operable Unit 5 (former Stimson Lumber Mill) from the National Priorities List in August after the remedial action and institutional controls were completed. The property is an approximately 400-acre industrial park occupied vacant buildings and businesses. EPA will continue to conduct Five-Year Reviews due to asbestos-contaminated waste left in place at depth in soil and encapsulated in buildings. A partial deletion is when EPA deletes a portion of an NPL site in which no further response actions are needed, cleanup is complete for that part of the site and/or reuse may be possible for that part of that site.

This is the fifth deletion action of an OU at the Libby Asbestos site from the Superfund list in the last six years, marking the deletion of over half of the OUs of the site.

While in operation, the Libby mine may have produced 80 percent of the world's supply of vermiculite, a mined ore that often contains a range of other minerals including, in some cases, asbestos. Vermiculite has been used in building insulation and as a soil conditioner. Vermiculite mined at the site contained a toxic and highly friable form of asbestos called tremolite-actinolite series asbestos, often called Libby Amphibole asbestos (LA). The Site was placed on the NPL in 2002. In 2009, for the first time in EPA history, the City of Libby declared a Public Health Emergency to provide federal health care assistance for victims of asbestos-related disease.

Learn more: Pride and Perseverance: Community Engagement and EPA Cleanup of the Libby Asbestos Superfund Site.

Institutional Controls Ensure Long-Term Protections at Site in Pueblo, Colorado

EPA, in coordination with Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), modified the cleanup plan for the Colorado Smelter Superfund Site to document two actions. The first was to finalize the current community properties study area (Operable Unit 1 (OU1)) as the final site boundary, which reflects the nature and extent of site-related contamination in residential soils. The second was to allow remedy modification to implement Institutional Controls (ICs) for residential properties within the OU1 Boundary where contaminated or potentially contaminated soil is left in place above levels acceptable for unlimited use and unrestricted exposure.

Through what’s known as an Explanation of Significant Differences document, EPA modified the remedy to include ICs issued by CDPHE and the City of Pueblo to minimize disturbance of residential soils in areas where potential contamination may still lie in place. This is the first residential IC to be established at the Site and additional ICs will be considered to continue protecting human health and the environment. EPA plans to reassess site-specific cleanup levels in light of EPA’s recently Updated Residential Soil Lead Guidance for CERCLA Sites and RCRA Corrective Action Facilities, which may change the total number of properties that require ICs.

Communities as Key Partners in the Cleanup Process

EPA works closely with communities across the country as part of Superfund’s Community Involvement Program to enable community members to get involved and stay informed.

Community Workshop Pilots Continue to Enhance Community Involvement Efforts at NPL Sites

EPA staff for the Lower Hackensack River and Acme Steel Coke Plant Superfund sites in New Jersey and Illinois collectively piloted six Superfund Community Workshops for affected communities from July through November 2024. The workshops reached hundreds of community members cumulatively and provided EPA with valuable feedback that will be used to improve future community outreach efforts.

The Superfund Community Workshops seek to promote early community involvement at each respective Superfund site through dynamic presentations, open discussions with community members, and interactive World Café events.

Established community groups, prominent community members, and EPA partners in each region helped develop and lead the respective workshops to ensure that EPA's engagement efforts resonated with communities' specific needs and priorities.

Taking a more proactive approach to community involvement increases the likelihood of community support for cleanup plans, decreases the likelihood of cleanup delays, and provides a better chance at redevelopment opportunities that best serve the affected community or communities.

Collaborative Efforts Lead to More Robust Investigations at the East Avenue Study Area

Over 50 residents expressed interest in allowing EPA to conduct soil sampling on their properties after a successful public information session at the East Avenue Study Area in Erie, Pennsylvania. The East Avenue Study Area is located in a regional engagement community, aiming to support marginalized and underserved areas. Over ten organizations participated in the event, including local health departments and City and Mayor’s office representatives. The Department of Justice also attended to answer citizen questions on witness impact statements regarding a criminal indictment case for the site. Additionally, EPA provided a live demonstration of how soil sampling is conducted on residential properties.

The session provided an excellent opportunity to collaborate with several federal, state and local partners and show the public that all parties are working together to ensure a robust investigation for the site.

Due to the level of community interest, EPA created a website that was translated into Spanish and Nepali based on community demographics.

Improved Data Platform Continues to Support Community Involvement Efforts in Bridgeton, Missouri

EPA continued improving the successful West Lake Landfill Dashboard for the West Lake Landfill Superfund site and provided additional insight into site operations by recording “In-The Moment” videos to showcase the work being described in the reports and documents.

The public dashboard is an interactive site that provides updated site data results in plain language to inform community members of cleanup actions and progress at the site.

The nearly 200-acre site became radiologically contaminated in 1973 when soils mixed with uranium ore processing residues were brought to the landfill and presumably used as daily cover in the landfilling operation.

Members of the site team also participated in a National Public Radio podcast interview to discuss how climate change is being considered in the final remedial design.

Superfund and Environmental Justice

Cleanup Completed a Year Early at Lower Darby Creek Area Superfund Site in Pennsylvania

EPA completed cleanup of the Lower Darby Creek Area Superfund Site -- majorly transforming the landscape for the adjacent Eastwick community. EPA has worked hard to build a relationship with the Eastwick community which has faced long-standing environmental justice issues. The LDCA Site is often used as a setting for educational opportunities, and a Memorandum of Understanding that establishes a new partnership between EPA’s Region 3 office and Heights Philadelphia, an educational and philanthropic non-profit organization, was signed at the site in April 2024. Heights Philadelphia serves more than 3,000 Philadelphia students, and provides advising, academic enrichment and internship opportunities for low-income, first-generation-to-college students. This new partnership between Heights Philadelphia and EPA will introduce students to careers that protect public health and the environment. For EPA, the MOU will lead to a wider range of merit-based applicants from diverse backgrounds. The cleanup success at LDCA led to it being an ideal venue for this event, as the students could gain exposure to Superfund and participate in hands-on activities.

EPA Engages Community to Address Environmental Justice Concerns

EPA used a multi-pronged approach to actively engage and educate community members about the St. Louis Airport and Vicinity Properties Superfund site to encourage participation in the cleanup decision-making process. The site consists of over 770 affected properties and contaminated soils along Coldwater Creek, which winds 14 miles through North St. Louis County, Missouri. EPA utilized a dedicated community liaison in the St. Louis area to lead an assessment of the community’s needs for technical assistance in understanding the ongoing cleanup work at the site. The assessment included active outreach by the EPA site team who listened to the community’s concerns to inform the communications plan for the site. EPA also regularly engages with community leaders and elected officials as key partners in the cleanup decision-making process.