EPA planning to clean up soil within Northport

Details

Published: Tuesday, 21 April 2020 16:56

EPA is planning a time critical removal action to clean up soil on 16 properties within Northport town limits. EPA’s decision was based on criteria that classifies these properties as a threat to people’s health from exposure to lead in their soil. EPA will work with property owners who have opted in, the Mayor of Northport, and the Northport Town Council to schedule and conduct removal activities in the next six to twelve months.

Areas for soil removal were identified based on an October 2019 review of 2004 data reports of properties within Northport with lead levels near or above 700 ppm (parts per million). When these sites were first evaluated in 2004, cleanup was not conducted because EPA’s removal action level at the time was 1,000 ppm.

The threshold of 700 ppm is the same level EPA used when working with Teck American to voluntarily cleanup 18 residential properties outside of Northport town limits from 2015 – 2018. Use of this lower threshold represents advances in scientific understanding of the adverse developmental effects of lead to young children and babies.

EPA’s October reevaluation documented the condition and layout of each of the properties of interest identified in 2004. This included interviews with each property owner about changes to property use since the 2003/2004 soil sampling. Actions will focus on lawns, gardens and play areas with a high likelihood of exposure to contaminated soil. Based on possible use changes, EPA collected and analyzed additional soil samples to better delineate the contaminated area.

Results of EPA’s reevaluation were documented in a site evaluation completion memo. Review of this memo supported the decision for time critical removal action.