News Releases from Region 04
EPA Observes One-Year Anniversary of Superfund Task Force at Kerr-McGee Site in Columbus, Miss.
ATLANTA – (July 24, 2018) – As part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund Task Force One-Year Anniversary, EPA will highlight expedited clean-up efforts at the Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp. Superfund site in Columbus, Mississippi.
The purpose of the event is to acknowledge collaborative efforts by the Greenfield Environmental Multistate Trust, federal, state and local stakeholders to achieve demonstrated success in achieving goals highlighted in the Superfund Task Force Initiative.
WHO: EPA Officials, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Greenfield Environmental Multistate Trust
WHAT: Superfund Task Force One-Year Celebration
WHEN: July 26,2018 at 10 a.m.
WHERE: Community Resource Center (the former Kerr-McGee Office Building)
2300 14Avenue North
Columbus, Miss. 39701
Background
The Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp. Superfund Site is located at 2300 14th Avenue North in Columbus, Lowndes County, Mississippi. The Site covers approximately 90-acres and is generally bounded by 14th Avenue North to the north, Moss Street and a railroad right-of-way to the east, and 21st Street North and 22nd Street North to the west, and the Pine Yard. The facility is closed and all structures on the property have been demolished or dismantled. Access to the Site is restricted by a fence that encloses the entire property.
The Pine Yard was used primarily for lumber and scrap metal storage. Historical aerial photographs suggest that between 1952 and 1959, the southern portion of the Pine Yard was used for storage of untreated lumber and the northern portion was used for storage of mixed untreated/treated lumber. Some treated wood storage took place in the southern portion of the Pine Yard in later stages of the plant operation.
Through deliberate effort to incorporate goals of the Superfund Task Force Initiative, the planning and design phase to expedite the cleanup of a portion of the Site (Pine Yard) is expected to begin the week of July 23, 2018. Completion of the cleanup will expedite reuse opportunities at the Site.
Under the Trump Administration, the Superfund program has reemerged as a top priority to advance the Agency’s core mission of protecting human health and the environment. The Superfund Task Force was established to provide recommendations for improving and expediting site cleanups and promoting redevelopment. The work being conducted at the site reflects EPA’s commitment to protect human health and the environment while promoting the revitalization of properties across the country.
The Superfund Task Force Recommendations can be viewed at: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-task-force-recommendations
For information about Superfund:
For more information about the Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp – Columbus site: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/kerr-mcgee-chemical-columbus
