ATLANTA (October 10, 2023) – Federal, state and local officials gathered in Atlanta’s Westside last Thursday evening to recognize two milestones in the cleanup of the Westside Lead Superfund Site. Through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, $30 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding is being invested to support the Westside cleanup. Additionally, 20 Atlanta area residents graduated from the EPA’s Superfund Job Training Initiative or “SuperJTI.” Some graduates will fill available jobs with environmental contractors cleaning up contamination at the Westside Lead Superfund Site.
“Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we have the largest long-term environmental investment in infrastructure and the economy in our nation’s history. Here in the Westside, the BIL funds will be used to excavate and safely dispose of lead-contaminated soil at residential properties, including places where vulnerable children live and play, to protect residents,” said Acting Region 4 Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle. “Our goal in the communities we serve is to collaborate early and encourage meaningful participation during Superfund cleanups, and I am thrilled to also recognize the 20 Westside Lead Site SuperJTI graduates, some of whom have already secured jobs in the environmental remediation field.”
“I am thrilled to see Georgians continuing to benefit from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This latest news at Westside Lead Superfund site is a testament to the good we can accomplish when we come together to center the people in our policymaking,” said U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock. “As a preacher and a public servant, I believe we are called to be good stewards of our planet and its resources, so I will continue to work to deliver more investments to Georgia that will promote healthier communities. And I look forward to seeing the great work the graduates of the Superfund Job Training Initiative do in Georgia and across the country to protect our environment and serve our communities.”
“The Georgia Environmental Protection Division appreciates the work done by our federal partners to address the Westside Lead site,” said GAEPD Director Jeff Cown. “As the site transitions from response action to remedial action, GAEPD will continue to work with the EPA to ensure that lead contaminated soils are remediated to safe levels.”
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Investment
The Biden-Harris Administration set out to deliver a once-in-a-generation investment to improve our nation’s infrastructure, which includes cleaning up contaminated sites and investing in communities that are often overlooked. Through this investing in America agenda, a total of $3.5 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds are being invested nationally to clean up priority hazardous waste sites. These funds also support our Justice40 initiative, which aims to provide 40% of the overall benefits from federal resources to disadvantaged or overburdened communities.
The Westside site is one of just 49 sites selected across the country to receive Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for immediate cleanup work. The funds will be used to continue to sample and clean up lead contamination from old foundry waste in people’s yards and protect the health and safety of Westside residents, especially young children who are most vulnerable to this contamination.
There are 2,097 properties in the study area and 1,251 properties have been sampled thus far. Of those, 528 had lead in soil above the 400 mg/kg threshold for cleanup and cleanup activities have been completed at 229 properties.
The EPA continues to seek permission from property owners and tenants the Westside to perform free sampling of their yards. Residents can use the interactive mapping tool on EPA’s website to see if their property is in the study area. Access forms for the sampling are also posted online.
SuperJTI
SuperJTI is a national program that provides unemployed and underemployed individuals with the technical skills and specialized training needed to work on cleanup projects at Superfund sites, on other environmental remediation, and in a broad range of construction projects. The Westside Lead SuperJTI graduate earned certificates in:
- Lead-Based Paint Worker Certification
- 40-hr Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response
- OSHA-10 Construction Safety Training
- CPR/First Aid
More information about the Westside Lead Superfund Site: www.epa.gov/superfund/westside-lead
More information about SuperJTI: www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-job-training-initiative
from EPA News Releases https://ift.tt/I9QCzJM