U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA to Host Question and Answer Sessions on Proposed Addition of Georgetown North Groundwater Site to EPA’s Superfund Clean-up List

PHILADELPHIA (April 7, 2022) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will host a conference call on Thursday, April 14, and an in-person session on Wednesday, April 20, to provide an opportunity for the public to ask questions about the March 18 proposed listing of the Georgetown North Groundwater Site in Kent County, Delaware, to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL).

The NPL is EPA’s list of hazardous waste sites in the United States eligible for investigation and potential cleanup financed under the federal Superfund program.

These “open house” Q&A sessions will provide an opportunity for the Georgetown community to have their questions answered by EPA staff, and will take place:

Phone-In

Thursday, April 14: 6:00PM – 7:00PM
Phone Number: (484) 352-3221
Conference ID: 307589259#

In-Person

Wednesday, April 20: 5:30PM – 7:00 PM
Georgetown Public Library123 W. Pine Street
Georgetown DE 19947
Questions can be submitted in advance by emailing them to:

Angela Ithier, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator, 215-814-5248, ithier.angela@epa.gov

The Site is a groundwater plume that has been polluted by a contaminant release and encompasses approximately one square-mile underlying commercial and residential areas within the town of Georgetown, in southern Delaware. While the public drinking water in Georgetown meets state and federal standards, the groundwater is contaminated with the solvent tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and its breakdown products. PCE, sometimes referred to as perc, is an organic chemical introduced in the environment by commercial and industrial operations such as dry-cleaning facilities. EPA considers PCE as likely to be carcinogenic to humans.

When EPA proposes to add a site to the NPL, the Agency publishes the proposed rule in the Federal Register and notifies the community through the local media so interested members of the community can comment on the proposal. The comment period runs from March 18 until May 17, and EPA will consider those comments in the final decision on listing the Site on the NPL.

If after the formal comment period, EPA determines that the Site still qualifies for cleanup under Superfund, the Agency will publish a final rule in the Federal Register and Georgetown North Groundwater will become a Superfund Site. EPA would then conduct a more comprehensive investigation of the Site, to determine the full nature and extent of contamination and to examine potential remedies.

More information about the proposal can be found at: www.epa.gov/superfund/georgetowngroundwater

All comments received will be treated equally. During the comment period, comments may be submitted in one of two ways:

Online: http ://www.regulations.gov   Search for EPA-HQ-OLEM-2022-0190