Officials say EPA Superfund site cleaned up, ready for use
GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) – Gulfport’s old Chemfax Inc. site is ready for use after being cleaned up as an Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site.
Citing an EPA news release, the Sun Herald reports that although the cleanup is completed, groundwater will be monitored to make sure contamination decreases and remains on the site. The Harrison County School District owns the 11 acres of land.
The newspaper reports Chemfax, which operated from 1955-1995, produced synthetic hydrocarbon resins and waxes from petroleum products that can cause cancer.
The EPA says contaminants on the site included benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and naphthalene. Chemicals leeched into the groundwater, which must be monitored. The site will undergo five-year reviews, starting in 2021.
County school superintendent Roy Gill says Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality also must clear the property for use.
