U.S. EPA Progresses on Superfund Task Force Report Recommendations
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its progress in carrying out the recommendations of the Superfund Task Force Report that was released one year ago. The agency has also finalized its plans for completing all 42 recommendations by the end of 2019. The 42 recommendations fall under the goals of: expediting cleanup and remediation; re-invigorating responsible party cleanup and reuse; encouraging private investment; promoting redevelopment and community revitalization; and engaging partners and stakeholders.
EPA has achieved key milestones at sites on the administrator’s emphasis list, which included 21 national priority superfund sites targeted for immediate and intense attention. It has moved seven sites to full deletion and two to partial deletion from its original list. Ten more are proposed for partial or full deletion pending public comment.
EPA has responded to more than 120 redevelopment-related prospective purchaser inquires and created an informational mapping tool of site specific details for 31 sites that have the greatest reuse potential. Tools and processes have been developed to encourage third-party investment and work has been done to better engage partners and stakeholders including the hosting of 1,370 public meetings and 3,190 in-person meetings and interviews with community members living near Superfund sites.
Over the next year, EPA will continue with this work, as well as work to formally implement adaptive management principles at pilot sites; implement the Superfund Remedial Acquisition Framework; finalize guidance to assist third parties in identifying investment opportunities; and complete an evaluation of groundwater beneficial use policies.
EPA’s new “Superfund Task Force Recommendations 2018 Update” is available at: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-task-force-recommendations-2018-update
A video highlighting Superfund success stories from across the country can be found here: https://youtu.be/btUramqS7G4
The agency’s new informational mapping tool on the Redevelopment Focus List is available at: https://arcg.is/vn8H5.
EPA will continue will continue to post opportunities for external stakeholders to participate in the Task Force work on the Superfund Task Force web page at: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-task-force-public-participation-opportunities
