Most superfund sites are at military bases, depots, storage facilities or production plants, although others were at facilities of other agencies, including the Energy Department, NASA and FAA. Image: Danita Delimont/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffEnvironmental hazards at federal facilities are vulnerable to spreading due to inland flooding and wildfires, says a pair of reports by the EPA inspector general’s office.
The reports noted that as of last October, there were 157 Superfund sites within federal facilities, and that—in addition to the potential risks to people working at those facilities—about three million people live within one mile of those sites and 13 million live within three miles.
Of the 148 sites that auditors analyzed—those within the contiguous states—47 have potential inland flooding risks and 31 have potential wildland fire risks, it said. Most are at military bases, depots, storage facilities or production plants, although others were at facilities of other agencies, including the Energy Department, NASA and FAA.
The report on inland flooding said that rain or river overflow “can increase the risk that Superfund site contamination may be released into the environment, exposing the surrounding communities. For example, after Hurricane Harvey in 2017, flooding at the San Jacinto River Waste Pits in Texas resulted in the release of toxic dioxin chemicals.”
Similarly, the other report said that “a wildfire at such a site could release large amounts of contaminants into the air through combustion. This would threaten the health of not only nearby communities but also communities far downwind. Exposure to wildfire smoke can lead to negative health effects, including pulmonary and cardiac effects, which could be exacerbated by toxics in the air.”
It said for example that such fires have occurred just since 2020 in three facilities with such hazardous sites in California: March Air Force Base, El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, and Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base.
The IG recommended that facilities conduct specific assessments of vulnerabilities, saying that without them, “there is an increased risk that such events may cause toxic contaminants to be released, threatening the health and environment of millions of U.S. residents.” The EPA did not provide a formal response.
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