EPA Adds Carter Carburetor Superfund Site in St. Louis to Administrator’s Emphasis List
Environmental News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Lenexa, Kan., Oct. 30, 2019) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has added the Carter Carburetor Superfund Site to the Administrator’s Emphasis List of Superfund sites targeted for immediate, intense action.
“Working hand in hand with community stakeholders, EPA has nearly completed the cleanup of the Carter Carburetor Site,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Jim Gulliford. “When the cleanup is complete, EPA will continue to work with all stakeholders to ensure this former Superfund site is ready for redevelopment and can become an asset to the community.”
Carter Carburetor Corporation and Carter Automotive Products, both of which were subsidiaries of ACF Industries Inc. (ACF), owned the property from 1956 until 1985, when the site property and buildings were deeded to the Land Reutilization Authority of the city of St. Louis, Missouri. ACF utilized the property to manufacture carburetors for use in gasoline-powered equipment. When ACF closed in 1984, the manufacturing lines were dismantled, and most of the equipment was shipped to new locations or sold.
A 2013 $30 million settlement between EPA and ACF Industries led to the cleanup work that is expected to be completed in the next few months. The cleanup consists of building demolition after asbestos removal, excavation and removal of contaminated soil, and placement of a cap over the remaining contaminated soil.
The contaminants of concern identified at the site included polychlorinated biphenyls, volatile organic compounds, and heavy metals.
Background
EPA established the Administrator’s Emphasis List in December 2017 in response to recommendations from EPA’s Superfund Task Force. Each site on the list has a short-term milestone to provide the basis for tracking progress at the site. EPA will consider removing a site from the list once the milestone is achieved. Removal from the Administrator’s Emphasis List does not change the site’s status on the National Priorities List.
EPA remains dedicated to addressing risks at all Superfund sites, not just those on the Administrator’s Emphasis List. The Superfund Task Force Recommendations are aimed at expediting cleanup at all Superfund sites. EPA continues to accelerate progress at Superfund sites across the country.
The updated Administrator’s Emphasis List is available on EPA’s website. Get the latest information about the work of the Superfund Task Force.
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