The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced on February 10 the second wave of approximately $1 billion in funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to start new clean-up projects at 22 Superfund sites and expedite over 100 other ongoing cleanups across the country.
Thousands of contaminated sites exist nationally due to hazardous waste being dumped, left out in the open, or otherwise improperly managed, including in manufacturing facilities, processing plants, landfills, and mining sites. Superfund cleanups help transform contaminated properties and create jobs in overburdened communities, while repurposing these sites for a wide range of uses, including public parks, retail businesses, office space, residences, warehouses, and solar power generation. In addition, these sites can support natural areas and recreation facilities, providing greenspace and safe places for families to play outside.
The $1 billion investment announced is the second wave of funding from the $3.5 billion allocated for Superfund clean-up work in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
With the first wave of funding announced in December 2021, the EPA deployed more than $1 billion for clean-up activities at more than 100 Superfund National Priorities List sites across the country. Thanks to this historic funding, the EPA started 81 new clean-up projects in 2022, including projects at 44 sites previously on the backlog.
In 2022, the EPA also more than doubled its spending for Superfund preconstruction activities like remedial investigations, feasibility studies, remedial designs, and community involvement.
Click here to learn about the new clean-up projects at the 22 Superfund sites.