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EPA proposes Superfund designation for Exide site in Vernon
Environment Sep 05, 2024
Workers decontaminate a building at the Exide plant in Vernon in 2020. | Photo courtesy of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday proposed adding a former lead-processing and battery recycling site in Vernon to the Superfund National Priorities List, which would make it eligible to receive federal funding for long-term cleanup efforts.
The Exide Technologies Inc. facility, 2700 S. Indiana St., operated from 1922-2014, and groundwater sampling from on-site monitoring wells since the 1980s consistently has shown trichloroethylene, or TCE, levels “an order of magnitude higher than those in nearby wells,” according to an EPA report. TCE contamination in the facility’s south yard is four times higher than the acceptable levels for public drinking water supplies.
Gov. Gavin Newsom welcomed the proposed Superfund designation.
“This is a huge step forward in our critical work to protect surrounding communities from Exide’s toxic legacy,” he said in a statement. “The Superfund designation would bring in vital federal resources to further the state’s ongoing cleanup — one of the largest in U.S. history. We look forward to continued progress with federal partners to remedy this decades-long injustice and do right by our communities.”
In July 2022, officials from the California Department of Toxic Substances Control requested that the EPA assess the former Exide facility to see if it was eligible for Superfund status.
To date, state efforts have remediated lead contamination for more than 5,300 properties in the surrounding area, which is disproportionately burdened by pollution, according to Newsom’s office. California has spent more than $770 million to clean up contamination that resulted from Exide’s lead and battery operations.
The EPA is accepting public comments on the proposed Superfund designation until Nov. 4. On Sept. 18 at 5:30 p.m., the agency will conduct a virtual public information session about the proposal and offer tips on how to submit comments.
“The proposal to add Exide to the Superfund list is the first step in a process, and we will be 100% committed to engaging and gathering feedback from the community the entire way,” EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman said in a statement. “When finalized, the listing will provide access to federal funding and resources that EPA will utilize to take a more comprehensive approach to the contamination in the community.”
California Environmental Protection Secretary Yana Garcia said in a statement, “This is a critical milestone in our fight to secure environmental justice for Los Angeles communities impacted by decades of industrial pollution. I look forward to continuing to work with U.S. EPA to address the contamination left behind by the former Exide facility.”
The Superfund National Priorities List is a group of known sites throughout the nation where historic releases of dangerous pollutants significantly threaten human health and the environment. If placed on the NPL, investigators will continue to assess if long-term cleanup is necessary, EPA officials said. The agency may add the Exide site to the NPL if the facility continues to meet the listing requirements after the public comment period ends and the agency has responded to any comments.
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