News Releases from Region 04
EPA Releases Proposed Cleanup Plan, Announces Public Meeting for Kerr-McGee Superfund Site in Columbus, Miss.
ATLANTA (December 4, 2018) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a cleanup plan to address contaminated soil at the Kerr-McGee Chemical Corporation Superfund Site in Columbus, Miss. The cleanup work described in the plan is already underway through a voluntary agreement with oversight from EPA and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). This expedited cleanup will prepare approximately 20 acres of the Site for reuse as early as next year.
EPA will hold a public meeting to present the proposed plan and answer questions about the ongoing cleanup on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Genesis Dream Center, 1820 23rd Street North in Columbus. EPA is also soliciting public comments on the plan for 30-days beginning on Dec. 7, 2018, and ending on Jan. 6, 2019.
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 proposed cleanup plan addresses contaminated soil in the Pine Yard portion of the Site between the ground surface and the water table (approximately 8 feet below). EPA is recommending that contaminated soil from approximately 13 acres of the 44-acre Pine Yard be excavated and disposed at an approved off-site facility, then replaced with clean fill. The cleanup is estimated to take six to 12 months and cost $9,892,000, to be paid by the Multistate Trust which manages the Site. Deeper subsurface soils beneath the water table will be addressed as part of a future cleanup.
In July 2017, the Superfund Task Force released its recommendations to streamline and improve the Superfund program, including a focus on expediting cleanups and preparing sites for redevelopment. In January 2018, the Columbus Kerr-McGee Site was recognized as one of 31 Superfund sites across the country with the greatest expected redevelopment and commercial potential. With EPA and MDEQ support and oversight, the Multistate Trust expedited the cleanup and began work in the Pine Yard, as described above, in July 2018.
EPA welcomes public comments on the plan beginning Thursday, Dec. 7, 2018, to Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019. Though the cleanup work is ongoing, the proposed plan and Record of Decision to follow will ensure that Superfund cleanup goals are met under the ongoing voluntary cleanup.
The proposed plan is posted online at: https://semspub.epa.gov/work/04/11114975.pdf
The proposed plan and other site-related documents are also available for review at the information repository located in the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library at 314 N. Seventh Street in Columbus.
Written comments may be e-mailed to king.charlesl@epa.gov or mailed to: Charles King, U.S. EPA Region 4, Superfund Division - 11th Floor, 61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, GA.
After considering all information received during the public comment period, EPA will consult with MDEQ and publish its final plan in a Record of Decision document.
The 90-acre Kerr-McGee site is located at 2300 North 14th Avenue in Columbus, Miss. The site includes the area where Kerr-McGee and its successor, Tronox Incorporated, conducted wood treating operations that released creosote and other hazardous materials into the soil, sediment and groundwater. EPA added the Site to the Superfund National Priorities List in 2011.
Pursuant to a 2011 settlement, the Greenfield Environmental Multistate Trust LLC (the Trust) is responsible for implementing all environmental actions at the Site with oversight from EPA and MDEQ.
More information about the Columbus Kerr-McGee Chemical Corporation Superfund Site: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/kerr-mcgee-chemical-columbus
Connect with EPA Region 4 on Facebook: www.facebook.com/eparegion4
And on Twitter: @EPASoutheast