Lower Parts Of Neponset River Now Superfund Site: EPA

MILTON, MA — Almost four miles of the Neponset River was designated as a Superfund Site by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday.

The EPA made the announcement at the river via representative David Cash Monday morning, alongside Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Representative Ayana Pressley.

"We're here today to acknowledge, finally - finally, that the federal government has officially recognized the dangerous pollution in the Neponset river," Senator Elizabeth Warren said. "Today we take the first official step towards cleaning up the river and making it safe for our neighbors."

This step comes years after state officials have been pushing for federal help to clean up the heavily contaminated waters. The Superfund Program was created in 1980 to allow the EPA to clean up hazardous waste sites and require those responsible to perform cleanups or pay back the government for those efforts.

"This action will transform the river, improve its ecological health and reduce the risk of health hazards for surrounding communities," Rep. Pressley said. "Today's action by the EPA is the result of years of work by grassroots organizers and advocacy groups who fought for both a review and the removal of contamination of this river that runs through my district."

Early studies from the EPA found that the 3.7-mile stretch of river is contaminated with elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. These chemicals, which can't break down in the environment, are considered to be "probable human carcinogens" by the EPA and are known to impact the health and safety of animals in the area.

PCBs were used in electrical equipment and hydraulic fluids that were manufactured across the country until their production was banned in 1979, the Boston Globe reported.

In September 2021, the EPA suggested the Lower Neponset River be added to the list of Superfund Sites - specifically noting the 3.7-mile stretch that runs through Hyde Park, Mattapan, Dorchester and Milton.

According to the Boston Globe, there are a number of companies who likely contaminated the river, going back as early as the 1930s, but state and federal officials don't have enough evidence to force their successors to pay for the cleanup.

"No one should have to live, work or go to school near a contaminated site and our country simply cannot afford to wait any longer for the protections that they deserve," Pressley added Monday.

According to the EPA's website, an initial investigation of the site is expected to begin before the end of 2022 and removal could begin in late 2023 or 2024.