Superfund Economics
NWI Times
Proximity to a Superfund site can have a strong negative impact on property values, as the negative connotation associated with the toxicity of Superfund sites can keep people from wanting to buy housing on or near them. Lower housing prices are often correlated with lower spending trends, and ultimately lower economic growth. Many communities that are affected by Superfund sites are already low-income, therefore the effects of Superfund on the socioeconomic status of affected communities can worsen pre-existing economic issues.
The EPA’s Superfund Redevelopment Initiative works to redevelop and reuse formerly contaminated Superfund sites. The reclamation of this land has been shown to be beneficial to local economies, with increases in the number of on-site jobs, employment income from on-site jobs, property values, property tax revenue, and the number of businesses. All of these factors can help to revitalize the economies of communities affected by Superfund sites.
Put the Super back into Superfund
Want to see polluters pay for their messes rather than taxpayers? Contact your representatives and tell them to support Senator Booker’s bill: Superfund Polluter Pays Restoration Act of 2017 (S.2198).
EPA advisory group to hold 3 community meetings about Superfund site on Kalamazoo River, Michigan
As WWMT News reports, an EPA advisory group will hold three community meetings for the Allied Paper, Portage Creek, Kalamazoo River Superfund Site. These meetings are meant to serve as town halls for the community [...]
Elementary school to be constructed near hazardous waste site in North Carolina
A new elementary school in Moore County, North Carolina, is to be constructed between two Superfund sites threatened by high levels of air pollution, NC Policy Watch reports. According to the city, the site bears [...]
Minden, West Virginia Marches On After Superfund Designation
From the leaders of Minden's movement for justice: Reflecting on the March for Minden On Saturday, June 8th, over 150 Minden residents and allies marched through Minden into Oak Hill to bring awareness to the [...]
Are your kids playing on Toxic Waste?
Has your local park been constructed on top of a Superfund site? Across America, Superfund sites, some of the most contaminated areas in the country, have been converted into parks and field complexes used by [...]
