EPA Adds American Creosote Site in DeRidder, LA, to National Priorities List to Clean Up Contamination, Protect Communities

DALLAS, Texas, Jan. 9 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has added the American Creosote site in DeRidder, Louisiana, to the Superfund program's National Priorities List (NPL). Nationwide, four hazardous waste sites were finalized to the NPL and 10 were proposed to be added.

"Today's action ensures the necessary resources are available for effective and safe revitalization of some of the most contaminated sites across the country," said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. "Superfund clean-up continues to be a priority at EPA as we work intently to create a safer and healthier environment for all communities affected."

Superfund, which Congress established in 1980, investigates and cleans up hazardous waste sites and converts them into community resources. The Superfund law directs EPA to update the NPL annually. Only sites added to the NPL are eligible to receive federal funding for long-term cleanup.

EPA adds sites to the NPL when contamination threatens human health and the environment. EPA deletes sites from the NPL once all response actions are complete and all cleanup goals have been achieved. EPA typically initiates Superfund involvement because states, tribes or citizens ask for the Agency's help. The Agency may also find contamination during its own investigations.

The following sites are being added to the NPL:

Newark South Ground Water Plume in Newark, Delaware;

American Creosote DeRidder in DeRidder, Louisiana;

Mississippi Phosphates Corporation in Pascagoula, Mississippi; and

Eagle Industries in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

The following sites are being proposed for addition to the NPL:

Hockessin Groundwater in Hockessin, Delaware;

Rockwell International Wheel & Trim in Grenada, Mississippi;

Burlington Industries Cheraw in Cheraw, South Carolina;

Southside Chattanooga Lead Site in Chattanooga, Tennessee;

Broadway Street Corridor Groundwater Contamination in Anderson, Indiana;

Franklin Street Groundwater Contamination in Spencer, Indiana;

Spring Park Municipal Well Field in Spring Park, Minnesota;

Lane Plating Works, Inc. in Dallas, Texas;

River City Metal Finishing in San Antonio, Texas; and

Orange County North Basin in Orange County, California.

Superfund addresses a variety of sites. While many Superfund sites were contaminated decades ago, at least six of the sites EPA is adding or proposing today were in operation within the last 15 years. These sites have contamination from a variety of sources, including manufacturing, electroplating and metal finishing.

Community partnerships are critical to Superfund site cleanups. EPA's goal is to work with community partners at every site by establishing and utilizing a process to explore future uses before the cleanup remedy is selected. This gives EPA the best chance of ensuring that sites are cleaned up in a manner that is consistent with a site's anticipated future use.

The NPL is one focus area of the Superfund Task Force Recommendations that were announced in July 2017 to improve and revitalize the Superfund program.

The task force's recommendations focused on five overarching goals: expediting cleanup and remediation, reinvigorating cleanup and reuse efforts by potentially responsible parties, encouraging private investment to facilitate cleanup and reuse, promoting redevelopment and community revitalization and engaging with partners and stakeholders.

The Superfund Task Force Recommendations can be viewed at https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-task-force-recommendations

For Federal Register notices and supporting documents for the final and proposed sites: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/current-npl-updates-new-proposed-npl-sites-and-new-npl-sites

For information about Superfund and the NPL:

http://www.epa.gov/superfund