By Sharon Franklin.
In 1980 national press coverage made Lois Gibbs a household name, but her work did not end with Love Canal. After receiving thousands of letters from people experiencing similar problems, she created what is today known as the Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ). As many know, she was among the community leaders instrumental in the creation of two bills relating to Superfund. Lois is often referred to as “The Mother of the Superfund”.
Today, as reported recently by Stephen Lee, Bloomberg reporter, a history of delays in cleaning up hazardous waste sites across the country is driving the Trump administration to find new ways to act faster, according to the EPA’s second-highest-ranking official. However, for communities and stakeholders on all sides of the political divide agree on the importance of cleaning up Superfund sites to shield local residents from toxins, but clean-up projects often get bogged down in legal disputes, sometimes blocking action for decades.
Superfund sites are all over the country, https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/superfund/search-superfund-sites-where-you-live_.html . The fact that the EPA uncovers and addresses this legacy pollution is a testament to Lois Gibbs’s and CHEJ’s hard work, not just in the 1970’s but for decades on and into the present day. Over the decades, we have learned the effects of Superfund sites and their damage to human health. Because of the continued exposure to the hazardous substances released from Superfund sites into the air, groundwater, and surface water the damage can be incredibly detrimental to human health in communities within and surrounding the site. Because of this higher rate of toxicant exposure, as well as their lessened ability to metabolize and excrete toxicants, children living or going to school on or near Superfund sites are particularly vulnerable to health issues.
As we take crucial steps towards cleanup and environmental justice, the legacy of frontline fighters, like Lois Gibbs and CHEJ highlights the resilience of communities fighting for a healthier future. Moving forward, we as Americans have an obligation to ensure that no community is left behind or forgotten. Everyone has the right to a clean, safe environment.
What is Happening Now with Superfund? Some local activists in the Houston, Texas area say they’re already seeing changes in delays at sites that have long frustrated them, but still haven’t approved a cleanup design. Jackie Medcalf, Executive Director of Texas Health and Environment Alliance recently met with EPA headquarters staffers who have told her they “want to move this site to action, and it’s taken way too long.” Similarly, the community group near St. Louis, Missouri, Just Moms/SL are finally getting action after languishing on the national priority list since 1990, said Dawn Chapman, co-founder of Just Moms STL Additionally, Karen Nickel, Just Moms/SL co-founder stated the EPA’s new plan is for a cleanup is scheduled for groundbreaking to start in spring 2027,“For us, it never mattered who was going to come in and clean us up.”
Resources for Blog:
Center for Health, Environment and Justice link to Superfund Information https://chej.org/superfund
Trump’s EPA Turns to New Tools for Faster Superfund Cleanups
Search for Superfund Sites Where You Live
https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/superfund/search-superfund-sites-where-you-live.html
This is not the current EPA website. To navigate to the current EPA website, please go to www.epa.gov. This website is historical material reflecting the EPA website as it existed on January 19, 2017. This website is no longer updated and links to external websites and some internal pages may not work.
About the Superfund Cleanup Process
https://www.epa.gov/superfund/about-superfund-cleanup-process#npl