A recent report has revealed that over 100 “Superfund” sites – locations suspected of significant contamination or pollution – exist in California. These sites, identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), pose a potential risk to public health due to hazardous waste contamination.
The EPA has been overseeing the cleanup of these sites since 1980 under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, commonly known as “Superfund.” As of July, 96 sites in California are on the National Priorities List, which the EPA describes as a list of the worst hazardous waste sites identified by Superfund.
These sites include ill-managed waste management facilities, tech manufacturing plants, and several military bases. For instance, the Del Amo site in Los Angeles County, a former synthetic rubber production site, has a long history of pollution dating back to World War II. Hazardous chemicals from the site have leaked into the soil and groundwater, necessitating ongoing cleanup efforts.
In the tech hub of Silicon Valley, former semiconductor manufacturing plants, including AMD in Sunnyvale and Intel in Mountain View, are also Superfund sites due to soil and groundwater contamination.
A 5,900-acre site in Sacramento County, previously a chemical and rocket engine manufacturing site, is undergoing cleanup due to unknown amounts of hazardous waste disposed of by Aerojet and the Cordova Chemical Company.
The Central Valley has its own concerns, ranging from an asbestos mine in Coalinga to accidental chemical spills of an herbicide southeast of Bakersfield.
Moreover, ten Superfund sites around the state are linked to military bases. Camp Pendleton in San Diego County, for example, has nine different contaminated areas due to poor waste management and firefighting operations.
As personal injury bloggers, we often discuss environmental hazards and their potential impact on individual health and community safety. The existence of over 100 Superfund sites in California alone serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing environmental challenges we face.
We urge our readers to stay informed about the environmental conditions in their neighborhoods and to hold those responsible accountable for any pollution or contamination that may put their health at risk. Cleaning up these sites and ensuring a safe, healthy environment for future generations should be a top priority for all community members.