PHILADELPHIA (March 28, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced that it is adding the East Basin Road Groundwater Site in New Castle, Delaware, to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL). The NPL is the list of hazardous waste sites in the United States eligible for cleanup, financed under the federal Superfund program.

“Adding the East Basin Road site to the Superfund priority list moves us another step closer to assuring that groundwater contamination in New Castle will get the attention and resources the community deserves to remedy the situation there,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz.  “Everyone deserves clean, safe drinking water and EPA will continue working with our State and local partners to achieve that goal for New Castle residents.” 

An extensive investigation by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and EPA identified numerous public and private facilities located in and around the Wilmington Airport as sources of contaminants found in 11 municipal wells that supply drinking water in the New Castle area. The groundwater contaminants include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – known as PFAS.

Artesian Water Company and the City of New Castle’s Municipal Services Commission are operating treatment systems that effectively reduce PFAS in drinking water supplied to their customers.  

EPA proposed to add the site to the Superfund list on Sept. 9, 2022 and held a 60-day comment period for the public to comment on the proposed listing.  As part of the public comment process, EPA hosted two public information sessions on Oct. 4 and 6 to explain the Superfund process to the New Castle community. The agency prepared a document in response to public comments for posting and is moving forward with the final listing of the site on the NPL on March 29.  

For more information visit: East Basin Road Groundwater Superfund Site, and for the response to public comments document: https://www.regulations.gov, Docket # EPA-HQ-OLEM-2022-0679.