The Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized and published the cleaning plan to remediate contamination in soil and groundwater The Battery Recycling Companyin Arecibowhich contemplates removal and treatment in the same place.
The cost of the initiative exceeds $19.26 million, of which $1.56 million corresponds to actions to remediate groundwater and $17.7 million corresponds to the measures that will be taken to improve the soil.according to the 300-page document.
The land of the former lead smelting and battery recycling facility, which operated until 2014, is among the most contaminated sites among U.S. jurisdictions. Specifically, contaminants in the soil include arsenic and lead, while, in groundwater, volatile organic compounds have been identified.
“EPA has already taken significant steps to address the most pressing risks present at this site and we are now moving forward with a long-term solution to remediate remaining contamination and prevent further exposure.”explained the regional administrator Lisa Garcia in a press release.
“We appreciate the public's participation and comments on our cleanup plan, which helped us choose the best alternative for the site,” García added.
The EPA presented, last August, his proposal to address pollution at The Battery Recycling Company, which entered the National Superfund Priority List in 2017. At the time, residents expressed some concerns with the proposed plan, as the old factory is located in a flood zone.
The final plan, known as the “Record Decision,” involves excavating the contaminated soils and containing the toxic waste after it is treated in an on-site repository. The EPA estimates that approximately 50% of the excavated material will be considered hazardous wastewhich would be treated and stabilized in a repository that will be built on the ground.
The EPA will also monitor groundwater and establish land use restrictions in property records to prevent use of the liquid, until it can select “a more permanent remedy,” it said in the statement. In addition, it will establish institutional controls so that future use of the land does not conflict with long-term cleanup objectives.
The operations of The Battery Recycling, founded in 1994, generated large quantities of lead-contaminated battery acid and waste, the improper handling of which led to high levels of metal contamination in and around the land, according to the EPA.