|
 |
|
|
Superfund
Sites of Interests
|
|
Abandoned
mine lands (AMLs) present serious threats to human health and
the environment. The purpose of this Web page is to identify EPA's
resources related to the range of environmental risks and challenges
from AMLs as well as risk management approaches.
AMLs
in Region 2
 Superfund
recently announced the creation of the Superfund
Sediment Resource Center (SSRC) to assist EPA staff on technical
issues related to the cleanup of contaminated sediment sites. The
Center makes experts both within and outside the federal government
available to EPA staff.
|
In 1978, America came face-to-face with the consequences of decades of environmental
neglect, when the neighborhood of Love Canal discovered the toxic chemicals
underneath its neat suburban homes. In 1980, in response, Congress passed
the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly
known as Superfund, to address these sites.
The law, which gave the federal government broad authority to respond
directly to releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances that
may endanger public health or the environment, established two kinds of
responses:
- Short-term “removal” actions for emergencies or when EPA
determines that a site may become a threat in the near future.
- Long-term “remedial” actions to permanently and significantly
reduce the dangers from seriously contaminated hazardous waste sites
that require extensive cleanups, but do not pose immediate threats.
Of the Region’s 246 Superfund sites, 97 sites (39.4%) have been
cleaned up and deleted from the NPL or have all construction completed
and are undergoing long-term remediation. Long-term remedies usually mean
that continued pumping of contaminated ground water is required. In FY’00,
Region 2 completed construction at 13 sites: 3 in New Jersey, 6 in New
York, and 4 in Puerto Rico. Cleanup activities, either design or construction,
were under way at approximately 44% of the 246 sites. Approximately 16%
of the Region’s NPL sites are under study or are awaiting study.
The sites awaiting study have generally just been listed on the NPL or
are currently proposed for inclusion.
For information on this page, contact: zachos.george@epa.gov
|
