Superfund. What is in my backyard?
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Written Assignment 5: Superfund. What is in my backyard?
Location – San Diego, California. United States.
Text Reference – Payne, B.K. (2022). White Collar Crime: A Systems Approach. (3rd ed). Sage Publications.
Before starting this assignment read the following guide discussing the Superfund program. You may also want to read the section on Superfund from your
book.
Required reading: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/superfund/Links to an external site.
For this assignment, you will use the EPA website Superfund Sites Where You Live Links to an external site.to research the nearest Superfund site to where
you currently live that is listed on the national priorities list. There is a search function under the “Site Search Links to an external site.” tab. You should look
for Superfund sites that have the potential to release hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants into the water supply. I have provided a short
tutorial on how to search below.
This will probably also be the nearest Superfund site of any kind since most of the sites involve the contamination of surface and/or ground water. If you are
unable to determine exactly which site is closest to your home, you may pick the site that you think will be more interesting to research.
Once you have done that answer the following questions.
1. Give a brief background of your site (i.e. location and the type of activities that led to pollutant(s) release, the pollutant(s) that was released, the possible
effects of that pollutant, when was the site declared a superfund site or placed on the national priority list (NPL)?
2. Discuss the current status of the Superfund site. (i.e. how much is cleaned up, what is the cost, what is the current risk from the site for the community?
exc) Was cleanup a success or does it seem to be going well if ongoing?
3. After reading the required reading and about some Superfund activities do you feel that the program has been successful. Why or why not?
This assignment is worth 30 points.
Sample Solution
he San Diego Superfund site is located in a densely populated area of the city, and it includes several former industrial sites that have been identified as releasing hazardous pollutants. The primary pollutants released from this superfund site are metals, including lead, arsenic, cadmium and chromium; these substances can be found in soil and groundwater at elevated levels (Payne). Additionally, nearby homes may also contain asbestos fibers due to contamination from the industrial activities (Payne).
The San Diego Superfund Site was placed on the National Priority List in 1983 after studies revealed the presence of these toxic substances at high concentrations throughout the area. Since then there has been extensive remediation efforts which have lead to some improvements however many of the affected sections remain contaminated with harmful pollutants(United States Environmental Protection Agency). As such they continue pose risk to both human health environment – particularly those living or working near site – thus emphasizing importance protecting public safety through continued monitoring any remaining pollution sources(United States Environmental Protection Agency).
All together although much progress has been made since its designation as superfund sites more work needs done ensure all contaminants are removed order protect people who live around this area. It is only through continued oversight combined with community support that we will eventually be able to sustainably clean up our environment for everyone’s benefit.
