EPA To Begin Michigan Superfund Site Cleanups

After Years Of Delays, The U.S. EPA Says It Will Begin Michigan's Long-Awaited Superfund & Brownfield Site Cleanups

Sunday, May 5, 2024, 10:30 A.M. ET. By Ryan Metz: Englebrook Independent News,

WASHINGTON, DC.- Following years of delays, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced that it will begin the Superfund cleanup backlog, starting with the Velsicol Burn Pit in St. Louis, Michigan. The cleanup is being funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which was passed into law in 2021. 

     The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, commonly known as Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) was originally proposed as the Invest Act. This act allocates approximately $1.2 trillion over the next decade for various infrastructure projects, which is nearly $500 million more than what was previously allocated. Funds from the act are being made available in multiple sectors of the economy ranging from transportation to the rebuilding of critical infrastructure such as bridges and roads, to the green sector with billions allocated for environmental cleanup of Superfund Sites and Brownfields.

     According to a publication from the Michigan State Government:

          The Former Burn Area (FBA), also known as the Velsicol Burn        Pit Superfund Site, is located in an out-of-bounds area on the                Hidden Oaks Golf Course in St. Louis, Gratiot County, Michigan.        It Is the former waste-burning site for the Velsicol Chemical Plant,        formerly the Michigan Chemical Corporation. From 1956 to 1970,        a number of chemicals were burned at the Former Burn Area               weekly. Records are not available on all of the chemicals that were       discarded or burned at the site. Because of this, the Michigan                 Department of Environmental Quality sampled the soil and ash             piles, groundwater, and sediment for 150 chemicals as part of the         Remedial Investigation. In 2010, the Former Burn Area was placed       on the National Priorities List and became a "Superfund Site."

     A recent press release from the White House states that the act provides funding for the green sector as follows: (1) abandon mine land reclamation ($11.3 billion), (2) orphaned well plugging, remediation, and restoration ($4.7 billion), (3) Superfund Site cleanup ($3.5 billion), (4) Brownfield remediation and revitalization ($1.5 billion). Along with the $3.5 billion allocated for Superfund Sites, the bill also waives cost-sharing requirements by states for this funding.

     The U.S. EPA states that $1 billion of the funding will go to 49 Superfund Sites that have yet to be funded across the United States as well as dozens of other sites to accelerate remediation that is already underway. In addition to these Superfund Sites, Brownfield remediation is also a target for environmental cleanup. 

     The Brownfield remediation and revitalization will likely affect communities with abandoned industrial areas or open spaces that remain contaminated from previous industrial use. The cleanup of these sites is expected to allow communities to reclaim these spaces that remain contaminated from previous industrial use. The cleanup of these sites is expected to allow communities to reclaim these spaces for parkland and redevelopment along with mitigating risks to air and water quality and other hazards to people and wildlife.

FILED UNDER: MAY 5, 2024: NATIONAL, SCIENCE & NATURE, WASHINGTON, HEALTH: