This article was originally published by L.A. Public Press, and is republished here with permission.
Last month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a report that calls to consider designating toxic pollution from the former Exide battery recycling plant in Vernon a federally prioritized “Superfund” site for cleanup.
“Superfund” is the term used to describe a government tool created by Congress in the 1980s to pay for the long-term clean-up of hazardous waste. It’s a designation dishonorably awarded to industrial sites that are so polluted and difficult for state and local authorities to manage, they require the federal government to step in.
Now, the feds appear poised to award that distinction to the area around the former battery smelter. While Exide has long been synonymous with toxic lead dust, the EPA’s recommendation was rooted in groundwater contamination, also linked to the plant. Specifically a carcinogen the EPA says Exide also released, trichloroethylene (TCE).
Officials, community advocates and residents had hoped the federal government would also move to expand the residential cleanup beyond its current 1.7 mile radius from the plant, to include any more homes known to be contaminated with lead from Exide. Though the EPA found that the soil lead levels don’t meet specific Superfund criteria as they are too close to “background” thresholds, many still hope the EPA will alter course before its final determination.