HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) – Saturday, the Environmental Protection Agency held a workshop to update the public about the current status of the Superfund process.
This process is centered around the cleanup of what was formerly known as the Hercules Powder Company site that operated from 1923 to 2009.
EPA members say the company produced over 250 chemicals during that period, resulting in contamination of groundwater, surface water, soil, and sediment.
“We have different types of response actions that we can take, so we want to walk the community through what to expect at the Hercules site,” EPA Remedial Project Manager Xaimara Santiago said. “Specifically, how that process looks so they can better understand where we are and where we are headed.”
The Superfund is broken down into five different parts that involve site analysis to identify the issues and groundwork to rectify those issues.
“Right now, we’re in the process called the ‘Remedial Investigation,’” EPA Remedial Project Manager Porcha Robinson said. “This is where we look at different areas of the site that are contaminated, and we try to figure out what we need to sample so we can define all areas of contamination.”
EPA members say this process is lengthy due to the number of tests that have to be run, and they plan to keep the community informed as this process moves forward.
“When we get the data, we’ll come back to the community to share the results so we can talk to them about potential remedies to clean up the site,” Robinson said.
EPA Community Involvement Coordinator Marjorie Thomas says the public plays a huge role in this process.
“We want to be a partnership with the community,” Thomas said. “We want to hear your voice. We encourage you to stay informed. We encourage you to participate in various meetings. When it comes time to give input on the cleanup decisions, we want you to be a part of that process.”
EPA members say the city of Hattiesburg and Hercules Inc. are working towards the reuse and redevelopment of the Hercules site.
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