Latest news with #NationalPrioritiesList
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
$2 million in funds announced by Governor Morrisey for environmental cleanup in part of Fayette County
CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) — $2 million in funds for the start of an environmental cleanup in Fayette County was announced by Governor Patrick Morrisey. According to a press release, the $2 million in funds announced by Governor Morrisey will go towards starting an environmental cleanup of the Arbuckle Creek Superfund Site, also known as the former Shaffer Equipment Company property, in the Minden area of Fayette County. Milton man reels in record-setting blue catfish This cleanup is a long-overdue investment in the health and safety of Minden residents. Thanks to the collaboration among federal, state, and local partners, we are taking meaningful steps to protect West Virginians from dangerous chemicals. Governor Morrisey West Virginia House of Delegates member and representative for District 50, Elliott Pritt told 59News that, while some residents may remain skeptical after similar promises from public figures in recent years, the development is a positive step on the path forward for the area. I think anything that we can do for these people is positive. I know that some of them feel like all the different cleanups that have happened over the past few years have been unsuccessful and they may have somewhat of a 'well, we'll see' attitude. But I do think ultimately this is good for them. Elliott Pritt The press release stated that the contamination at the site came from damaged transformers placed by Shaffer Equipment Company between 1970 and 1984 that caused polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to seep into Arbuckle Creek and soil in the area. The press release also mentioned that studies showed that exposure to PCBs can be connected to a higher risk of cancer and reproductive issues. MAP: State-owned shooting ranges that are open to the public in West Virginia According to the press release, although cleanup efforts began in the 1980s and early 2000s, continuous concerns resulted in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) assessments in 2017, and the location was added to the EPA's National Priorities List (NPL) in 2019, which helped it qualify for Superfund resources. The press release stated that the $2 million in funding was secured by Governor Morrisey's office and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), and that in April 2025 a formal contract was completed between EPS Region 3 and the WVDEP. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
State commits funding to Superfund site cleanup
West Virginia officials have secured $2 million in funding to complement federal monies for a phase of environmental cleanup at a Superfund site in Minden. In a May 19 press release from Gov. Patrick Morrisey's office, the state announced the funding for the environmental cleanup of the Arbuckle Creek Superfund site in Fayette County. According to the release, the federally-matched funds were provided for as part of the 2025 budget and will go toward cleaning up decades-old contamination stemming from industrial activity at the former Shaffer Equipment Company property. 'This cleanup is a long-overdue investment in the health and safety of Minden residents,' said Morrisey. 'Thanks to the collaboration among federal, state and local partners, we are taking meaningful steps to protect West Virginians from dangerous chemicals.' Contamination on the site stemmed from damaged transformers placed by Shaffer Equipment Company between 1970 and 1984, resulting in polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) leaking into the surrounding soil and Arbuckle Creek. According to the release, exposure to PCBs has been linked through numerous studies to a heightened cancer risk and reproductive issues. While initial cleanup actions were taken in the 1980s and early 2000s, ongoing concerns led to further assessments by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2017. In 2019, the site was added to the EPA's National Priorities List (NPL), making it eligible for Superfund resources. Over the years, Minden residents and others have voiced concerns with the health effects of the PCBs on local residents and the environment, as well as the effectiveness of earlier remediation efforts. 'Community input is critical to the Superfund cleanup process and is always welcomed,' said an EPA spokesperson. 'Feedback from residents helps shape the EPA's cleanup plans, ensuring they meet community needs, protect the land, air and water, and support meaningful site reuse that drives economic growth and revitalizes communities. 'Formal public comment periods throughout the Superfund process allow communities to provide input. For the first phase of the cleanup at this site, there was a public comment period from March 13-April 12, 2023 and a public meeting on March 21, 2023.' That allowed the public to comment on the proposed plan for cleaning up the soil at the Shaffer Equipment Company property. 'We are expecting to have another public comment period and public meeting towards the end of 2025 to allow the public to comment on the proposed plan for the second phase of cleanup that will address the remaining contaminated soil and sediment areas,' the EPA spokesperson said. 'The EPA prioritizes community input and welcomes it at any time.' Bi-monthly community updates are provided, the spokesperson said. Morrisey's office, in coordination with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), successfully secured the required $2 million state match. A formal contract between WVDEP and EPA Region 3 was finalized in April 2025, the release noted. According to the agency spokesperson, the state funds will be utilized for construction/cleanup activities for the first phase, which will address soil contamination of the former Shaffer property. 'This requires an intricate design planning phase that takes time to implement; however, the goal is to complete the plan and begin activities in about two years.' Minden resident Steve Hayslette Monday said that he, for one, has largely abandoned hope in the fight to get complete PCB remediation or satisfaction in the form of an opportunity to be awarded funds to be able to move away from Minden, which several years ago was incorporated into the City of Oak Hill. He said that, to his knowledge, most of the community's residents were in favor of a hoped-for buyout by federal officials so they could relocate out of the damaged area. 'From Day 1, they said EPA don't buy out people,' said Hayslette, a former Oak Hill city councilman and the owner of Hayslette Towing and Recovery. 'It never was on the table.' 'The EPA rarely relocates residents and does not consider relocation unless the environmental data supports it,' the agency's spokesperson said. 'At this time, the environmental data/risk does not show that relocation is an appropriate response action. 'Permanent relocation is only considered in cases where contamination poses an immediate threat that cannot be mitigated or remediated, implementation of remedial measures would require the destruction of homes, or the cleanup requires residents to be temporarily relocated for over one year.' On its website, the EPA highlights, among other things, the history of the Shaffer Equipment property, various abatement efforts, community involvement opportunities, testing sampling and information on future cleanup or other activity. According to the timeline, a fourth removal action was initiated in October 2019 and was completed in February 2020. That featured excavation of soil from an area adjacent to a capped area and minor repairs to the capped area. Since the Minden site was added to the NPL, EPA officials have been working with the WVDEP to review data, engage with community members and local officials and conduct remedial investigation (RI), according to the website. A second phase of RI sampling occurred from July 2021 through September 2022. That effort included the installation of monitoring wells in addition to collection of soil, sediment, surface water and groundwater samples. In March 2023, a proposed cleanup plan to address soil contamination on the former Shaffer site was released for public review and comment. A Record of Decision was filed in July 2024. Officials are currently determining if there are additional areas requiring cleanup. 'The EPA sampled the site from 2019 through 2022 as part of the Remedial Investigation phase of the Superfund process,' the spokesperson said. 'After collecting enough data to establish an understanding of the nature and extent of contamination, our team was ready to advance in the Superfund process. We shifted our focus to planning the first phase of cleanup at the former Shaffer Equipment Company property, which was proposed in 2023.' According to the EPA website, sampling results to date 'show that there is no immediate threat to human health. Accordingly, no immediate action is necessary.' Hayslette, who lives one row of houses removed from Arbuckle Creek, says he is one of several Minden residents who signed up for a potential flood buyout involving the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the process for which was initiated in the fall of 2023. That program was not related to the PCB situation. A lifelong local resident, the 55-year-old said it's doubtful the toxic chemicals of the past can be completely eradicated from local soil and waterways. 'How are you going to find all that and clean it up?' he asked. The ongoing project 'may remediate the site.' Giving residents a financial way out would be a better remedy, he said. 'This is an exciting moment for West Virginia and the Minden community, marking continued progress in the cleanup of the Shaffer Equipment/Arbuckle Creek Area Superfund site,' the spokesperson said. 'The EPA looks forward to working alongside WVDEP and local residents to fulfill our commitment to provide clean air, land and water for all Americans.' To learn more about the Arbuckle Creek Superfund Site, visit
Fox News
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
LEE ZELDIN: Why we're shutting down Biden's EPA museum
The mission to identify waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars spent in the name of pet projects that bolster "environmental justice" or climate change fanaticism has resulted in a long list of atrocious spending amounting to over $22 billion by the Biden administration that I have since terminated for immediate savings. As part of our continued commitment to transparency and responsible spending, the latest efficiency I have identified is the closure of the Biden administration's scarcely visited Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) museum. This cost a whopping $4 million taxpayer dollars to build in accordance with Smithsonian standards and more than $600,000 annually to operate. The museum itself is about the size of an apartment, at barely 1,600 square feet, tucked inside the ground floor of EPA headquarters in Washington, D.C. It had less than 2,000 external visitors between May 2024-February 2025. To put that in perspective, even the lowest visited Smithsonian Museum has eight times the visitors in a one-year period. The millions of dollars spent to build this one-room, little-trafficked, so-called "museum" inside EPA with hundreds of thousands of dollars in operational costs annually is yet another example of waste by the Biden administration that could have been spent on providing clean air, land and water to forgotten communities. EPA staff amounted to more than 40% of visitors and while the museum was free, the cost to taxpayers per external visitor amounted to nearly $315 per person. Other annual costs at the expense of the American taxpayer included more than $123,000 on cleaning and landscaping, more than $207,000 for security guards, $54,000 on magnetometer and X-ray maintenance, more than $54,000 on storage, and nearly $40,000 for maintenance of AV equipment. This museum exemplifies a broader pattern we've uncovered – resources being diverted from the agency's core mission to fund initiatives that advance partisan ideologies under the guise of environmental stewardship. Imagine the progress EPA could have made by funding the replacement of lead pipes, or cleanup of superfund sites languishing on the National Priorities List, or state and local efforts to boost air monitoring and other efforts to improve air quality. While you may expect the history of the agency – which was started under President Richard Nixon – and its mission of protecting human health and the environment to be nonpartisan, the Biden administration chose to curate the museum with a massive gap of recognition between 2014 and Jan. 20, 2021. There is also a higher priority placed on Democrat administrations' work compared to Republican administrations. Biden's EPA favored the incorporation of a slew of "environmental justice" and climate change content to proliferate the fearmongering tactics of the radical left instead of focusing on the statutory work EPA does daily to deliver clean air, land and water to Americans. One exhibit on "Today's EPA," reads, "The EPA protects human heath and the environment by developing and carrying out economic protections; advancing environmental justice, equity, and civil rights compliance…" Another touts the Biden EPA's establishment of an EJ office, EJ programs, and their Journey to Justice Tour. There is no mention of the significant accomplishments of the first Trump EPA, including a drop in combined emissions of criteria pollutants and their precursors, the first ever comprehensive nationwide action plan to address PFAS, or the first update to the Lead and Copper Rule in nearly 30 years. I'd bet the record-breaking emergency response to the catastrophic wildfires in Los Angeles thanks to the leadership of President Donald Trump would never earn a moment in the spotlight. The largest wildfire hazardous materials cleanup in the history of the EPA was projected to take months but was finished in 28 days. These are the accomplishments that should be celebrated – not through expensive museum exhibits paid for by taxpayers, but through cleaner communities and healthier citizens. The foundation of effective environmental stewardship isn't found in self-congratulatory displays or ideologically driven initiatives, it's built through practical, cost-effective programs that deliver measurable improvements to environmental quality and human health. The Biden administration lost sight of these fundamental principles and diverted taxpayer resources to serve political narratives. Under President Trump's leadership, our new direction is clear. Every taxpayer dollar spent must be justified, every program must demonstrate value, and every initiative must contribute directly to our core mission. The museum closure represents just one step in our broader commitment to transparency and fiscal responsibility. We are committed to being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars. So far, our review and termination of wasteful programs has resulted in $22 billion in taxpayer savings. By eliminating wasteful spending and refocusing on providing clean air, land and water for all Americans, we're strengthening our ability to address environmental challenges. The museum's closure will save $600,000 annually – money that could support programs to deliver real environmental benefits to forgotten communities. This isn't about diminishing our commitment to environmental protection; it's about enhancing it through responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars. The days of unchecked spending on monuments to the egos of the Left are over. Under our leadership, fiscal responsibility and mission focus will guide every decision. The American people deserve nothing less.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New study finds elevated cancer rates near toxic San Jacinto River waste pits
Texans living in a 250-square-mile area of Harris County that includes a hazardous Superfund site had abnormally high rates of certain types of cancer, according to a new assessment from the state's health department. The study, which was published earlier this month, analyzed cancer rates across 65 census tracts surrounding the San Jacinto River both upstream and downstream of the San Jacinto River Waste Pits Superfund Site, which is contaminated with carcinogenic waste. Between 2013 and 2021, the study found, people in the area had cancer rates above the expected range for cervix uteri cancer, leukemia, lung and bronchus cancer and lymphoma. The Superfund site near Houston is contaminated with dioxins, which the Environmental Protection Agency says are highly toxic and can cause cancer, reproductive and developmental problems, damage to the immune system, and can interfere with hormones. The Texas Department of State Health Services said the cancer assessment was not intended to determine the cause of the cancers or identify possible associations with any risk factors. But environmental advocates said the assement's findings renewed calls for the cleanup of the Superfund site, an effort which has faced several delays due to disputes over who is responsible. Jackie Medcalf, founder and CEO of the environmental nonprofit Texas Health and Environment Alliance, called the state's new study a wake-up call for state and federal officials. 'Our bodies are toxic soup and we cannot ignore that any longer,' Medcalf said Monday at a press conference at the San Jacinto Community Center. The study also reviewed seven types of childhood cancer. Results showed cancer cases were within the range of what is expected based on cancer rates in Texas. The site's pits were originally constructed in the 1960s to dispose of solid and liquid pulp and paper mill waste from the International Paper Co. and McGinnes Industrial Maintenance Corp. During this time the EPA didn't know the risk of such contamination. As much as 200,000 cubic yards of highly toxic waste was dumped into the pits and later eroded allowing for contaminants to leak into the San Jacinto River. In 2008, the site was added to the EPA's National Priorities List for cleanup under the Superfund program, which ranks 'the nation's most serious uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites.' For decades residents in the area say they unknowingly lived, swam, boated and fished near and on top of a hazardous waste site. Gene Hennigan is a long-time resident of Lynchburg, an unincorporated community located in east Harris County and near the waste site. At the press conference Hennigan said he knows many people in the community who have suffered from cancer, including his wife and son who died of cancer. 'The list goes on,' he said. 'We know the area is a cancer cluster by experience not by a study.' THEA and local residents requested the state to study the area's cancer rates. In 2011 temporary armored caps were installed to contain toxic sludge at the site. However, six years later Hurricane Harvey damaged the caps, exposing the waste. Environmentalists and lawyers have argued the temporary cap is an insufficient fix and continue to push for expedited removal of the waste to prevent further human and environmental harm. Full remediation of the site has a price tag of $115 million. Medcalf with THEA said she is frustrated that the EPA hasn't taken stronger action to clean up the site. The agency could take over the clean up. However, she's hoping the Trump administration will prioritize the cleanup of hazardous waste sites, as she said he did during the prior administration by creating a Superfund Task Force. THEA will be meeting with the state health department Tuesday and with the EPA later this week to discuss the cancer assessment's findings. We can't wait to welcome you to the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. Step inside the conversations shaping the future of education, the economy, health care, energy, technology, public safety, culture, the arts and so much more. Hear from our CEO, Sonal Shah, on TribFest 2025. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Washington Post
15-02-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
As Trump administration reforms the EPA, cleanups of America's most toxic sites are uncertain
LOS ANGELES — Just over a mile from where Patricia Flores has lived for almost 20 years, a battery smelter plant spewed toxic elements into the environment for nearly a century. Exide Technologies in southeast Los Angeles polluted thousands of properties with lead and contributed to groundwater contamination with trichloroethylene, or TCE, a cancer-causing chemical. Since Exide declared bankruptcy in 2020, California has invested more than $770 million to clean the various properties. But much more cleanup is needed, and with Donald Trump's return to the White House, those efforts are uncertain. 'The groundwater that was found to have TCE is spreading,' said Flores in Spanish. 'It's not just going to affect us – other people will also be impacted by the contamination. And it is worrying that we won't be added to the priority list for the cleanup to be done.' Residents, environmental advocates and state and federal lawmakers have urged the Environmental Protection Agency to list Exide as a Superfund site, which would unlock federal resources for long-term, permanent cleanup. Last year, the EPA determined the plant qualifies due to TCE in the groundwater, which advocates worry is tainting drinking water. But toxic cleanup experts say the Trump administration could make it harder for hazardous sites to get designated, create a backlog, reduce program funding, and loosen contamination standards. The goal of the Superfund program, begun more than four decades ago, is to clean the nation's most contaminated sites to protect the environment and people – often in low-income and communities of color . After a site is added to the National Priorities List, crews evaluate the contamination, create a cleanup plan and execute it. Once that happens, the EPA deletes the site from the list, which could then be redeveloped. There are currently 1,341 Superfund sites, according to EPA figures from December. While the program has historically received bipartisan support, changes in administration impact how it operates, its funding and oversight. In a statement to The Associated Press, EPA spokeswoman Molly Vaseliou said the agency 'is putting together a leadership team composed of some of the brightest experts and legal minds of their fields, all of whom will uphold EPA's mission to protect human health and the environment. President Trump advanced conservation and environmental stewardship in his first term and the EPA will continue this legacy in his second term.' It's too soon to know how Trump's second presidency will impact the program, but some experts point to his previous term for clues. A backlog of toxic Superfund cleanups grew, even as Trump declared the program a priority while seeking to defund it and the EPA . Vaseliou said Trump's EPA 'cleaned up more toxic sites than its predecessor by fully or partially deleting 82 sites from the Superfund National Priorities List.' The AP previously reported that Trump and a former EPA administrator took undue credit for cleanups when they made similar statements in 2019. It can take decades to clean up a Superfund site, meaning that by the time it's removed from the list a new administration is in power. If Trump seeks to defund the EPA again, it could have big impacts on site cleanups in states with less money. Some states don't have the staff or economic wherewithal to address these sites themselves, 'and so they need the federal government as a partner to do it,' said Michael Blumenthal, co-chair of McGlinchey Stafford's environmental law group, who has represented Superfund cases. 'Polluters pay' taxes, which imposed fees on polluting companies for Superfund cleanups, expired in 1995. They were reinstated with the Biden-Harris administration's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. Many hoped the renewed funding would reverse the decades-long trend of slow clean ups, but some now worry they could be repealed, reducing program funding. Trump has already moved to oust career staff at EPA and other agencies, removed scientific advisers and closed an office that helps minority communities disproportionately struggling with pollution. Granta Nakayama, a lawyer and partner at King & Spalding, said a reduced number of EPA staff will have a 'dramatic effect' because 'you just don't have the bodies to really run the program at the level they've historically operated at.' If the federal government doesn't put in the same effort, state cleanup programs will have to decide if they'll step in to pick up the slack, added Nakayama, who served as EPA assistant administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. 'Some states have more political will than others.' In his first term, Trump also rolled back environmental oversight and protections, including for air and the nation's waterways . Trump signaled he could do the same this time when he signed an executive order to repeal 10 regulations for every one that takes effect. Experts say environmental deregulation could weaken the framework that supports Superfund cleanups. Blumenthal said there could be efforts to revise the hazardous ranking system, making it harder for sites to be listed. He also said states like California, awaiting a decision, won't get one straight away. 'It could be months,' he said, adding that sites like Exide could be listed as low priority. Some people working on cleanups are already seeing impacts. Connie Westfall, lawyer and founder of the Westfall Law Firm, has been working on the U.S. Oil Recovery Superfund site in Texas. Her team is waiting on the EPA to sign off on site reports so they can move to the next stage. 'I've never seen anything like it,' she said. 'The delays are costing us money.' Aleja Cretcher, legal fellow for the environmental group Communities for a Better Environment, said they have worked closely with the EPA for years, including on Exide. Losing that support would be a 'backslide.' 'It's been decades of poisoning with no accountability,' she said, 'and everyone deserves clean soil in their yards and clean air, clean water.' ___ The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP's environmental coverage, visit .
