EPA TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING ON USS LEAD SUPERFUND SITE CLEANUP

www.NWITimes.com

According to the EPA, over 100,000 tons of contaminated soil at the former West Calumet Housing Complex is set to be removed by the end of the year. Today known as the USS Lead Superfund site, the area originally included the U.S. Smelter and Lead Refinery, Inc., the West Calumet Housing Complex, and other surrounding areas.

The EPA first discovered lead contamination spreading from the Smelter in the 1980s, and additional hotspots were found in later decades. Blood testing in 2016 revealed a large number of children living at the West Calumet Housing Complex had elevated blood levels. Following the testing results, the EPA and local agencies relocated residents, demolished the West Calumet Housing Complex, and began remediating contaminated soil at the site.

The property has since been rezoned from residential to light industrial, reducing the criteria for the ongoing soil cleanup.

FEDS TO PAY COLORADO $5 MILLION IN LATEST SETTLEMENT FROM 2015 GOLD KING MINE SPILL

www.ABQJournal.com

The state of Colorado will receive $5 million from the Federal Government to clean up and restore damaged areas from mines in southwest Colorado, predominantly for the cleanup of the Gold King Mine spill. The Gold King Mine Spill released over 880,00 pounds of heavy metals into the Animas River after a cleanup crew led by EPA officials accidentally triggered the spill. 

As a result of the Gold King Mine spill, the area has been classified as a Superfund Site. According to the chairman of Bonita Peak Mining District Community Advisory Group, Peter Butler, the $5 million doesn’t amount to much compared to the estimated cleanup costs, but it’s a positive step. Additional settlements following the spill will likely be pooled with the $5 million to restore natural resources.

MORE LAND SLIDING AT CASA ROMANTICA: RESINDENTS EVACUATION, TRAINS HALTED THROUGH SAN CLEMENTE

www.OCRegister.com

The picturesque Casa Romantica in San Clemente, California, suffered a major setback when its bluff-top patio cracked and slid down the hillside on April 27, 2023. The slide resulted in the red-tagging and evacuation of four condos due to safety concerns. The incident also led to the suspension of rail service in the area. The damage extended to a terrace on the property, with concrete sliding perilously close to the train tracks below.

The city commissioned a $75,000 geology study to investigate the soil’s instability, as inch-long cracks appeared on the view deck earlier in the month. The situation escalated rapidly, with the terrace dropping 20 feet within a short span of time. While the condos were deemed relatively safe due to their deep caisson foundations, falling debris posed a risk to lower-level units.

IN A REVERSAL, BUCCO NOW BLAMES DEFUNCT ROXBURY DUMP FOR HOMEOWNER WELL CONTAMINATION

www.TapInto.net

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are raising concerns nationwide due to their potential carcinogenic properties. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has initiated residential well water tests to assess the extent of contamination. Additionally, the DEP is actively funding the installation of water filtration systems in homes.

MUSA TADROS SETTLES DEBT WITH $20M BANKRUPTCY SALE OF CHATHAM VILLAGE SQUARE

www.loopnet.com

Musa Tadros, through his venture Crown Commercial Real Estate and Development, has reached an agreement to sell the Chatham Village Square shopping center on the South Side of Chicago. The venture settled with its lender, paying $20.5 million from the sale proceeds to the servicer representing the debt-holding investors.

The filing by Tadros’ venture acknowledged the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, stay-at-home order, and the unrest following the George Floyd protests. The riots resulted in significant damage to the property, including looting and the burning of buildings.

‘INNOCENT BUYERS’ HOPE BILL WILL SOLVE THEIR ISSUES. THE DNR WORRIES IT WILL LEAVE CONTAMINATION

www.MidWestLiving.com

A new bill introduced in Madison, Wisconsin seeks to offer assistance to unsuspecting property buyers who unknowingly purchased contaminated land. The legislation, Assembly Bill 44, was inspired by the experience of Ken Koeppler, a Madison resident who discovered the former dry-cleaning facility he bought in 1987 had contaminated soil beneath it.

Under the proposed bill, homeowners who purchased their property prior to September 1, 1992, without any knowledge of contamination, would be relieved of the responsibility for cleanup costs. Moreover, the bill would exempt counties from liability for contaminated properties and allow them to sell such properties to buyers who would also be exempt from responsibility. Currently, Wisconsin’s “spills law” holds property owners accountable for contamination, even if they were unaware of it.

SUNCOR SAYS PFAS POLLUTION SPIKES NEAR COMMERCE CITY REFINERY MAY BE COMING FROM HIGHER UP SAND CREEK

www.DenverPost.com

Colorado regulators are considering whether to impose further limitations on Suncor Refinery’s PFAS allowances in their renewed water quality permit. Suncor’s refinery officials claim that recent testing has not revealed higher than normal contamination downstream from their site on Sand Creek or in nearby South Platte River. However, state regulators have stated that PFAS levels in the outflows from Suncor in December and January exceeded proposed effluent limits outlined in a draft water quality permit.

Suncor acknowledges the high November reading but contends that it is not representative, pointing to downstream sampling results taken on the same day that showed lower PFAS concentrations. Environmental groups and neighbors are pushing for stricter permit conditions to limit PFAS allowances to levels recently set by the EPA for drinking water.

While the firefighting foam used at Suncor no longer contains restricted PFAS variants, concerns over ongoing spills of other substances and benzene exceedances also persist. Any additional revisions to the permit will be subject to public comment and review by the water quality division.

ESTIMATED $15.3M IN RESIDENTIAL DAMAGES AND PUBLIC DAMAGE ASSESSMENT $713K AT THIS TIME FROM VIRGINIA BEACH TORNADO

WHRO.org

On April 30, 2023, a tornado touched down in the northern part of Virginia Beach. The tornado’s path was about 4.5 miles long with peak winds of 145 mph. Over $15 million dollars worth of residential damage was cause destroying 9 homes and 36 damaged to the point of being uninhabitable. Estimated public damages come up to $731,000.