 |
||
|
Superfund--Region 6: South Central |  |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
|
|
El Paso County/Dona Ana County MetalsThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6, in cooperation with the Texas Department of Health (TDH), the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), local city/county officials, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), has continued its investigation of soils contamination of El Paso, Texas, Removal actions have concluded for specific residential areas of El Paso. Mexico environmental agencies are also being kept informed. EPA and its partners, the City of El Paso, TCEQ, TDH, ATSDR, are continuing to evaluate lead and arsenic soils contamination in areas of El Paso. During the past two years, over 500 residential properties have been cleaned up. Many more residential properties have been sampled and may require future action. Upon completion of our determination of the cleanup scope, EPA and its partners will review all available options to fund and complete the cleanup of areas. One option to be considered during our review will be the area's inclusion on the EPA's national priorities list. To date, the site has not been proposed by EPA or its partners. EPA is continuing to pursue “potential responsible parties”, commonly referred to as PRPs, to compel their participation in covering the cleanup activities and costs. The City of El Paso, EPA and the health agencies have an on–going commitment to evaluate and inform area citizens on lead and arsenic contamination. Contacts: Sam Coleman 214-665-6701, Susan Webster 214-665-6784 NPL STATUS No decisions have been made to list the site to the National
Priorities List (NPL) for cleanup. The decision to pursue a
listing will be determined after the stakeholder meeting and
workgroup recommendations are presented and evaluated.
The State of Texas must also concur on any further NPL
actions. The site was bought to the attention of EPA and the State in 2001 by State Senator Shapleigh and the Soils Workgroup. The agency begin testing high access public areas in a three mile radius of the border of two states and Mexico near the American canal. The EPA and its State, City and local partners have conducted an ongoing removal, restoration, and sampling program over the past three years in north and west central and the southside of El Paso. The public has been kept informed through numerous community meetings and the health agencies have provided ongoing health education and outreach. Throughout this effort agencies have encouraged citizens who have concerns about exposure to have their children tested by contacting the El Paso City/County Health Department at 915-771-5702. WHERE TO GET MORE INFORMATION For Spanish language version, please click here.
|
|
|
