News Releases from Region 01

EPA Superfund Site cleanup reviews protect health and environment at four Rhode Island sites

Boston – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has completed comprehensive reviews of site cleanups at four National Priorities List Sites (Superfund Sites) in Rhode Island, including one federal facility, by performing required Five-Year Reviews of each site. Under the Trump Administration, the Superfund program has reemerged as a priority to fulfill the Agency’s core mission of protecting human health and the environment.

"Completing Five Year Review evaluations at Superfund Sites is a critical part of the Superfund cleanup process," said EPA Regional Administrator Alexandra Dunn. "It helps ensure remedies remain protective of public health and the environment."

"Since Congress passed the Superfund law, many of the worst hazardous sites in Rhode Island and the nation have either been cleaned up or brought under control, but EPA’s Five Year Review evaluations remind us that even cleaned-up sites remain works in progress," said Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Director Janet Coit. "We are grateful for EPA’s vigilance monitoring these four Superfund sites to ensure that their cleanup continues to protect public health and the environment."

Throughout the Superfund process of designing and constructing a cleanup remedy for a hazardous waste site, EPA’s first goal is to make sure the remedy will be protective of public health and the environment. At many sites, EPA continues to ensure protectiveness by requiring reviews of cleanups every five years. It is important for EPA to regularly check on these sites to ensure the remedy is working properly. Five-year review evaluations identify any issues and, if called for, recommend action(s) necessary to address them.

EPA is actively involved in Superfund studies and cleanups at 13 sites across Rhode Island including Federal Facilities. There are many phases of the Superfund cleanup process including considering future use and redevelopment at sites and conducting post cleanup monitoring of sites. EPA must ensure the remedy is protective of public health and the environment and any redevelopment will uphold the protectiveness of the remedy into the future.

The Superfund Sites where EPA has completed Five Year Reviews in 2018 are below. The reviews were completed during the federal Fiscal Year 2018 (October 1, 2017-September 30, 2018).

The links will direct users to each Superfund Site page, where you can find the FY 2018 Five Year Review report.

Completed Five Year Reviews in FY 2018- Rhode Island

Superfund Sites

Central Landfill, Johnston, R.I.
https://www.epa.gov/superfund/central

Picillo Farm, Coventry, R.I.
https://www.epa.gov/superfund/picillo

Western Sand and Gravel, Burrillville, R.I.
https://www.epa.gov/superfund/wsg

Federal Facilities:

Davisville Naval Construction Battalion Center, North Kingstown, R.I.
https://www.epa.gov/superfund/ncbc

Background
The Superfund program, a federal program established by Congress in 1980, investigates and cleans up the most complex, uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country and endeavors to facilitate activities to return them to productive use.