The following press release was published by the US EPA on Sept. 20. It is reproduced in full below.
CALVERT CITY, KY. (Sept. 20, 2021) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced the deletion of the Airco Superfund site from Superfund’s National Priorities List (NPL), benefitting the environment, the community of Calvert City, and the people of Kentucky.
Nationally, EPA’s announcement finalizes the deletion of 9 sites and the partial deletion of 11 sites from Superfund’s National Priorities List. With this action, EPA has deleted all or part of 25 sites from the NPL in fiscal year 2021, signaling to communities that cleanup of the contamination is complete and allowing them to move forward in reusing and redeveloping the land.
The 2.75-acre Airco Superfund site is a former industrial landfill northeast of Calvert City in western Kentucky. EPA placed the site on the Superfund program’s National Priorities List (NPL) in 1984 because landfill disposal activities contaminated ground water and soil. The Linde Group (formerly Airco) led site investigations and cleanup activities, with oversight provided by EPA in cooperation with the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection. NPL site deletions help communities move forward in reusing and redeveloping the land by making it clear that cleanup is complete.
“This deletion represents a significant milestone that EPA and our partners are making to clean up contaminated property and return the land to productive use,” said EPA Acting Region 4 Administrator John Blevins. "A successful cleanup improves human health and the environment while also supporting economic growth."
The approved cleanup plan was implemented in the 1990s. The landfill was capped, and a flood protection dike was constructed as required by the 1988 Record of Decision (ROD). Volatile organic compounds initially associated with the landfill were later shown to be from migration from the adjacent BF Goodrich superfund site. After the Explanation of Significant Differences was issued in 2020, it was concluded that all response activities have been completed and the site is eligible for deletion from the NPL. The area is zoned for heavy industry.
While EPA encourages site reuse throughout the cleanup process, deletions from the NPL can revitalize communities, raise property values, and promote economic growth by signaling to potential developers and financial institutions that cleanup is complete. This can be especially impactful for disadvantaged and over-burdened communities.
When hazardous substances and pollutants or contaminants remain on a site above levels that permit unlimited use and unrestricted exposure, EPA conducts follow-up reviews every five years—even after NPL deletion—to ensure Superfund remedies continue to protect people and the environment. These reviews provide an opportunity to evaluate the remedy to determine whether it remains protective of human health and the environment.
Additional information on the Airco Superfund site: www.epa.gov/superfund/airco
Additional information about EPA’s NPL deletions: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/deleted-national-priorities-list-npl-sites-state
To search for information about these and other NPL sites, visit: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/search-superfund-sites-where-you-live
Source: US EPA
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