Superfund Hazardous Waste Research Project (Assignment)

The Superfund
Hazardous Waste Research Project
Introduction
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, otherwise
known as the Superfund Law, was written to help clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is authorized under this law to identify
individuals or corporations responsible for toxic sites and force them to restore them.
To enforce this law, the EPA has created a National Priorities List of sites that are eligible for
funding under this law. This list can be accessed here:
http://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/srchsites.cfm
Finding Local Superfund National Priority Sites
1. Scroll down the page to “State*” and select Texas from the list.
2. Click on “Search” at the bottom of the page.
3. Record sites in Dallas County. Notice 413 Superfund sites exist in Texas. You can sort by
county by clicking on arrow in county column. You can also sort by with an NPL status of “Final
NPL” or “Deleted NPL”. These are sites that are currently, or were formerly designated
Superfund cleanup sites.
Site Name NPL Status

Researching Superfund Site Details
1. Sort by NPL status and look at the sites that have a status of “Final NPL”.
2. You will choose three designated Superfund (NPL) sites with a Final NPL status.
3. For each of the three sites, read the site descriptions and record each of the following: site
description, specific hazardous chemicals found, and whether the site has been remediated yet
or not. Record on the following data table.
*You must fill out the table with sufficient detail to receive full credit.
Site Name Description Chemical Contaminants Current Status
Example
Outboard Marine Corp. Waukegan, IL Hydraulic fluid was dumped into floor drains, which
eventually lead into the nearby harbor and nearby soil. Polychlorinated Biphenyls
Trichloroethene
Vinyl chloride
Coal Tar Plant 1 – Soil cleanup complete.

Plant 2- Soil cleanup not complete.
1.
2.
Site Name Description Chemical Contaminants Current Status
3.
Identifying Toxic Chemicals
1. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has a toxic substance
database that can be accessed here: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/substances/toxsearch.asp
2. Enter the name of one of the toxic chemicals present in a Superfund site above.

Example: Vinyl Chloride
3. Note if this substance is a carcinogen (causes cancer), teratogen (causes developmental
disorders or birth defects), a neurotoxin, an endocrine (hormone) disruptor, if it irritates the skin
or breathing passages, or has developmental effects.
Toxic / Hazardous Chemical Carcinogen Teratogen Neurotoxin Endocrine Respiratory Skin
Irritant Vinyl Chloride X X