News Releases from Region 01

EPA Completes Reviews of 3 Superfund Site Cleanups in Rhode Island during FY 2020

BOSTON – EPA has completed comprehensive reviews of site cleanups at 3 National Priorities List Sites (Superfund Sites) in Rhode Island by performing required Five-Year Reviews of each site. The Superfund program, a federal program established by Congress in 1980, investigates and cleans up the most complex, uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country and endeavors to facilitate activities to return them to productive use. In total, there are 13 Superfund sites across Rhode Island.

"One of EPA's major priorities is continuing to make progress cleaning up Superfund sites in the New England region," said EPA New England Regional Administrator Dennis Deziel. "Once a site, or part of a site, is cleaned up, EPA conducts regular reviews of the cleanup to ensure that it remains protective of human health and the environment."

"DEM is pleased that these reviews have confirmed that the remedies continue to protect human health and the environment. We also are excited that two of the sites, Rose Hill Landfill and the West Kingston Dump/URI Disposal Area, are continuing to support Rhode Island's clean energy goals with over 28 acres of solar panels that power municipal and school buildings in South Kingstown," said Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Director Janet Coit. "We would like to commend the Town of South Kingstown for participating in a statewide debris management plan and using a part of the Rose Hill site for staging of catastrophic storm-related debris. All these measures promote climate resilience on formerly contaminated and underused Superfund sites – and that is all upside."

The Superfund Sites where EPA has completed Five-Year Reviews in 2020 are below. The links will direct users to each Superfund Site page, where you can find the FY20 Five-Year Review report.

Completed Five Year Reviews in FY20 – Rhode Island Superfund Sites

Stamina Mills, Inc., N. Smithfield, Rhode Island
www.epa.gov/superfund/stamina

Rose Hill Regional Landfill, S. Kingstown, Rhode Island
www.epa.gov/superfund/rosehill

West Kingston Town Dump/URI Disposal Area, S. Kingstown, Rhode Island
www.epa.gov/superfund/wkingston

Throughout the process of designing and constructing a cleanup at a hazardous waste site, EPA's primary goal is to make sure the remedy will be protective of public health and the environment. At many sites, where the remedy has been constructed, EPA continues to ensure it remains protective by requiring reviews of cleanups every five years. It is important for EPA to regularly check on these sites to ensure the remedy is working properly. These reviews identify issues (if any) that may affect the protectiveness of the completed remedy and, if necessary, recommend action(s) necessary to address them.

There are many phases of the Superfund cleanup process including considering future use and redevelopment at sites and conducting post cleanup monitoring of sites. EPA must ensure the remedy is protective of public health and the environment and any redevelopment will uphold the protectiveness of the remedy into the future.

For more information on EPA's Superfund program, visit www.epa.gov/superfund