Peggy Toler
E.Hansen/EVS1001-31
March 31, 2011
Peggy Toler 2
Superfund Program I did not know what a Superfund program was until I looked it up and then I found out that it is an act that is the cornerstone legislation that provides the mechanism and funding for the cleanup of potentially dangerous hazardous-waste sites and the protection of ground water and human health. When you live near a superfund site, you and your family are at risk of developing a disease from the exposure of the different pollutants in these sites and may experience a loss of value of your property. The EPA says that there are steps that we can take to fight back. They have also said that they have set up a “Post Construction” strategy to ensure that Superfund response actions provide for the long-term protection of human health and the environment. The Construction Completion activities also involve optimizing remedies to increase effectiveness and /or to reduce cost without sacrificing long-term protection. There is still a health hazard for those who live close to a Superfund site. The site that I have found in my state was the Chemtronic, Inc. in Swannanoa, NC. It is about 1,027 acres and only about 20 acres in total are contaminated with these pollutants. This property has had several owners and operators and it was first developed as an industrial site in 1952. After first opening the first products that were manufactured on this site were explosives, incapacitating agents, and chemical intermediates. There are about 23 individual on-site disposal areas that were identified during the investigation activities on this site. During 1971, the disposal practices were not well defined. Solid waste materials and possibly solvents were reportedly incinerated in pits dug in the burning ground these pits are known as the Acid Pit
Peggy Toler 3 area. There are the chemical wastes that were also disposed of in the trenches located in the Acid Pit Area.
References: * Boorse, D.F. & Wright, R.T. (2011) Environmental Science (11 Edition) * www.epa.gov/region4/waste/nplnc/chemtrnc.htm