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Grants Site Added to Superfund Priorities List

Release Date: 7/21/2004
Contact Information: For more information contact the Office of External Affairs at (214) 665-2200.

      The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) added the Grants Chlorinated Solvents Plume site in Cibola County, New Mexico, to the federal Superfund National Priorities List (NPL), EPA and the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) announced today. Because of the listing, EPA can now implement long-range cleanup plans at the site.

      "Listing this site is an important first step in ensuring that public health and the environment will be protected.  EPA and NMED are committed to work together to clean the site quickly and efficiently," EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene said.

      NMED Secretary Ron Curry said, "New Mexico's ground water resources are precious and limited.  Addressing this problem will allow us to clean up and better protect water quality for future generations."  

      The site is a ground water plume contaminated with chlorinated solvents in the vicinity of First and Jefferson streets in the city of Grants, New Mexico.  The site is located in a mixed commercial/residential area.  The known lateral extent of the ground water plume is about 1,500 feet long by 600 feet wide; the vertical extent of the ground water plume has not yet been defined.

      A source for the release of chlorinated solvents to ground water has not been positively identified.  Public water supply wells for the area have not been impacted by chlorinated solvents from the site.

      The next step in the Superfund process is the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study.  During the investigation, EPA collects data to characterize site conditions, determines the nature of the waste, assesses risk to human health and the environment, and tests potential treatment technologies. EPA uses the study to develop, screen, and evaluate alternative remedies. Public comment will be solicited on EPA's proposed cleanup strategy.

      The EPA Superfund program works closely with state agencies to clean and restore uncontrolled contaminated properties. Superfund cleans sites when the work required is beyond the resources of state and local agencies.

      More information about this site is available on the EPA web site at https://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/nar1715.htm.