Skip to main content

Rep. Napolitano Hosts Update on EPA Superfund Cleanup

March 24, 2014

(Baldwin Park, CA) On Saturday, March 22, 2014, Rep. Grace F. Napolitano hosted a forum to update local residents on the EPA Superfund site cleanup in Baldwin Park, where groundwater contamination has affected the San Gabriel Basin for over 35 years.

"It is critical for Southern California to work together for the health and safety of all," Napolitano said. "Residents need to be more aware of what is in their water, and we must ensure funding to fight the spread of contamination. We will continue to outreach to cities and regional water entities to identify shovel-ready, drought-proof projects that will create new water and jobs. We must also continue to promote local conservation, recycling, and storage programs as we prepare for future drought cycles."

Presenters at the event spoke about water quality issues and the ongoing Superfund cleanup, which included Tony Zampiello, San Gabriel Valley Water Association; Steve Johnson, Stetson Engineering; Adrianna Quintero, Senior Attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council; Wayne Praskins, EPA; Ken Manning, Water Quality Authority; and members of ‘The Toxies,' a multi-media campaign to keep communities safe from toxic chemicals and pollutants. The Superfund site, which is approximately the size of Rhode Island, has treated over 75 billion gallons of contaminated groundwater and removed approximately 60,000 pounds of contaminants from the groundwater and 48,000 pounds of contaminants from the soil.

# # #