All News Releases By Date

EPA TO BEGIN PHASE II ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTIGATION IN RICHTON, PERRY COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI

Release Date: 07/26/2002
Contact Information: Dawn Harris-Young, EPA Media Relations, 404-562-8421

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality announced today that they will conduct a Phase II environmental investigation (EI) in Richton, Perry County, Mississippi in response to environmental justice concerns raised by residents of the McSwain Community. The goal of the investigation is to evaluate current environmental conditions in the area and any possible impacts to human health and the environment. Phase I of the investigation was conducted in February 2001. The investigation will begin July 30, 2002 and is expected to end on August 2, 2002. The second phase of the EI will focus on recommendations that arose from the Phase I environmental investigation and well as specific input obtained from local residents. The EI will include the evaluation of additional private wells, soil and groundwater adjacent to the American Woods Treatment facility and a nearby underground storage tank remediation site, and limited additional samples from the Northeast Perry Utility Association. A final report is expected to be available in November 2002.