Why We Did This Report
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General initiated an evaluation of the risks to federal facility Superfund site remedies from sea-level rise or increased storm surge.
Summary of Findings
The OIG determined that 49 of the 157 federal facility Superfund sites on the National Priorities List are potentially at risk from sea-level rise or increased storm surge. Sea-level rise and increased storm surge at federal facility Superfund sites are of concern to the EPA because of the federal government’s role in overseeing cleanup at these sites and also because many of these sites are located near population centers and important ecological areas. Federal facility Superfund sites may be at risk if the cleanup remedies that have been implemented at those sites to keep people and the environment safe are susceptible to sea-level rise or increased storm surge.
