EPA to Add Oklahoma Superfund Site to the National Priorities List
Publilshed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
DALLAS, TEXAS – (March 29th, 2023)– The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to add the Fansteel Metals Superfund site to the National Priorities List. The NPL is a roster of the nation’s most contaminated sites that threaten human health or the environment. By adding this site to the NPL, the EPA can prioritize funding for cleanup and necessary enforcement action.
“When we add a site to the National Priorities List, EPA is committing to permanently addressing contamination on-site and ensuring surrounding communities receive the protection and support they deserve,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Thanks to President Biden’s investments in America, EPA is making sure complex hazardous waste sites get the long-term federal financial assistance and cleanup support they need to safeguard critical resources families rely on, like clean drinking water.”
“The EPA remains committed to ensuring the safety and health of citizens who live near these Superfund sites,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “By adding the Fansteel Metals site to the NPL, we are enforcing environmental justice and taking action to remove a threat that impacts the environment and public health. I would like to thank the Biden Administration and ODEQ for working with us on ensuring the health of Muskogee residents remains a top priority.”
“DEQ is pleased that EPA is proposing the Fansteel site for listing on the NPL,” said Oklahoma DEQ Executive Director Scott Thompson. “Placement on the NPL will help effectively address environmental issues at the site, create a path forward for site management and cleanup, and protect health and the environment,” Thompson added.
The Fansteel Metals site is located in Muskogee, Oklahoma and encompasses 105 acres along the Arkansas River, this area is also within Cherokee Nation land. The site was operational between the years of 1956 to 1989 and produced metals from uranium ore. The residue from these operations were disposed of in acidic ponds. Over the years, the groundwater near the facility became contaminated with metal residue and the funding for the water treatment is expected to be exhausted next year. Once the funds cease, the contaminated water would begin to leak into the Arkansas River effecting the environment and public health.
In response to the immediate threat to public health and the environment, the EPA conducted an emergency response action in August 2018 by removing thousands of lab chemicals and over 3,000 gallons ammonium hydroxide at the site. Due to the hazardous nature of this site, the EPA is proposing to add this site to Superfund’s NPL. In addition to the FanSteel site, the EPA is adding one site to the NPL while proposing to add three more sites.
The EPA is adding the following site to the National Priorities List:
- East Basin Road Groundwater site in New Castle, Delaware.
The EPA is proposing to add the following sites to the National Priorities List:
- 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.
The sites included in this announcement demonstrate the EPA’s commitment to priority environmental issues like the long-term protection of drinking water, reducing childhood lead exposure, remediating contamination from per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, addressing the legacy of uranium contamination in the Navajo Nation, and advancing environmental justice. All the sites being added or proposed to be added to the National Priorities List are in communities with potential environmental justice concerns based on data from EJSCREEN.
Thousands of contaminated sites, from landfills, to processing plants, to manufacturing facilities, exist nationally due to hazardous waste being dumped, left out in the open, or otherwise improperly managed. President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law accelerates the EPA’s work to clean up this pollution with a $3.5 billion investment in the Superfund Remedial Program. The law also reinstates the Superfund chemical excise taxes, making it one of the largest investments in American history to address legacy pollution. This historic investment strengthens the EPA’s ability to tackle threats to human health and the environment from Superfund National Priorities List sites.
The Superfund program is credited for handling the most hazardous sites in our nation and for providing significant health improvements among residents who live in close proximity to these sites. For information about Superfund and the NPL, please visit the EPA’s Superfund webpage. For Federal Register notices and supporting documents for the NPL and proposed sites, please visit: New Proposed and New Superfund National Priorities List Sites.
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Read the full article at: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-add-oklahoma-superfund-site-national-priorities-list
