ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

The former Ram Leather Care site in east Charlotte is one of four North Carolina Superfund properties scheduled for accelerated cleanup as part of a $1 billion federal investment to clear a backlog of unfunded sites across the U.S.

A hazardous waste site in east Charlotte is among dozens of federal Superfund sites slated for expedited cleanup.

The former Ram Leather Care site at 15100 Albemarle Road was announced today by the Environmental Protection Agency for an accelerated cleanup schedule as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure law. The site, one of four unfunded Superfund locations in North Carolina, will receive part of a $1 billion federal investment to clear a backlog of 49 unfunded sites across the country.

Ram Leather Care was first listed on the EPA’s National Priorities List in 2003 because of contaminated groundwater and soil resulting from facility operations and waste handling practices.

“This work is just the beginning; with more than 1 in 4 Black and Hispanic Americans living within 3 miles of a Superfund site, EPA is working to serve people that have been left behind,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan, a North Carolina native and the first Black person appointed to the position. “Approximately 60% of the sites to receive funding for new cleanup projects are in historically underserved communities. Communities living near many of the most serious uncontrolled or abandoned releases of contamination will finally get the protections they deserve.”

In addition to the Charlotte location, other North Carolina Superfund sites scheduled for cleanup are:

• ABC One Hour Cleaners in Jacksonville which was listed on the NPL in 1989 because PCE contaminants in the soil and groundwater were at levels that posed an unacceptable risk to the public and environment.

• Hemphill Road TCE, Gastonia, listed in 2013 because of contaminated groundwater that affected private and community drinking water supplies.

• Holcomb Creosote Co. in Yadkinville, listed in 2012 because of contaminated soil, sediment, groundwater, surface water and on-site structures.

“I’m happy to see the investments from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law get to work immediately in Charlotte by continuing to invest in the cleanup of the Ram Leather Care site,” said U.S. Rep. Alma Adams of Charlotte, who voted for the funding. “Communities of color are the most adversely affected by legacy pollution, so it’s important to see the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act making a difference immediately.”

The $1 billion in funding is the first stage of the $3.5 billion initiative to clean up Superfund sites. The backlog of previously unfunded sites that will now be receiving funding are in 24 states and territories, including some that have been waiting for cleanup for more than four years.

“We want to make these communities whole again, and residents should feel a sense of peace in the place where they raise their families. EPA is committed to supporting local communities by cleaning up contaminated sites and returning the land to productive use,” EPA Region 4 Administrator Daniel Blackman said. “This infrastructure funding will accelerate cleanups for sites that have languished for far too long while promoting potential redevelopment and economic opportunities.”

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, also known as Superfund, was passed in 1980 to give EPA authority and financing to hold polluters accountable for cleaning the most contaminated sites across the U.S.

When no responsible party is found or can’t afford the cost of cleanup, Superfund money is used. The BIL reinstates chemical excise taxes and pumps an additional $3.5 billion in environmental remediation at Superfund sites.

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