Henry, J. (2022, July 6). Unable to fund exide cleanup, state wants contaminated Vernon site added to federal Superfund list. Daily News. Retrieved August 28, 2022, from https://www.dailynews.com/2022/07/03/unable-to-fund-exide-cleanup-state-wants-contaminated-site-added-to-federal-superfund-list/ 

Early July, California is requesting from the federal government that the polluted former site of Exide Technologies be added to the National Priorities List as a “Superfund site,” so the state may receive millions more dollars to clean-up the area. Exide declared bankruptcy in 2020, but its battery recycling has led to toxic pollution, including dangerous amounts of lead to spread across neighboring communities (East Los Angeles, Maywood, Huntington Park, etc.). Since Exide reneged on its agreement to fund clean-up, the state has taken on this responsibility. The process for becoming a Superfund site can take up two years.

This article relates to environmental science because it discusses a threat to our environment, that is lead build-up and toxic pollution from industrial processes. I hope that California may receive money for clean-up of the Exide Technologies, though I also understand that there may be other places that also need the money urgently. Either way, it is very disheartening that Latino neighborhoods must suffer from big corporations’ lack of accountability. The EPA and Trump administration should not have let Exide get away in court without cleaning up its damage.

Picon, A. (2022, June 11). California cities have spent millions to keep trash out of the San Francisco Bay. Regulators say it’s not nearly enough. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved August 28, 2022, from https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/articleComments/bay-area-trash-pollution-17204216.php 

May of 2022, state environmental regulators approved regulations giving Bay Area cities three years to remove all trash from their stormwater systems. This is due to water pollution from litter getting swept by storms into the Bay. Communities like Oakland and San Jose are fighting back because of how much money they would have to spend on catch basins and trash-capture devices. Additionally, most Bay Area cities don’t use treatment facilities to filter out trash from stormwater drainage, so this regulation would be very financially burdening. Regulators will also stop counting credits from volunteer cleanups by 2025 under these new regulations, putting greater stress on cities. 

This article is related to environmental science because it deals with water pollution, which kills animals and harms ecosystems. Moreover, it discusses the impacts of storms, which sweep trash into large water bodies. My reaction to this article was not positive or negative. I understand cities’ stress, though I think that the environment should always be a top priority. We need clean water to survive, and biodiversity is also an asset that has many benefits for humanity. I think compromise can be made- such as extending the deadline for environmental clean-up. I also reacted negatively to the disallowing of credits to meet regulation, because I think volunteering is impactful and should be recognized. Bay Area cities already face enough pressure as is and should be helped in achieving clean-up goals.

Kummer, Frank. “EPA to Clean up South Jersey Superfund Site That Emits ‘Harmful Vapors’ into

Homes, Businesses.” Https://Www.inquirer.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 2 Aug. 2022,

https://www.inquirer.com/news/superfund-site-new-jersey-burlington-county-cinnaminson-20220802.html. 

A superfund site in South Jersey is contaminating the air and the land around it, and because of this the U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency is going to clean up this land. The site is 400 acres and it is surrounded by neighborhoods and businesses. The article says that the contamination is spreading into the land and water surrounding the site. The remediation plan that has been put in place contains, “digging up soil and treating groundwater, some of which might be flowing into the nearby Delaware River.” Also, the “harmful vapors” that are being released by this site are very hazardous for the people living in the homes surrounding the site, and therefore it is completely necessary that this is monitored very closely and stopped. 

As the article states, the treatments the remediation plan calls for, “are necessary to protect human health or the environment from actual or threatened releases of hazardous substances into the environment.” Although this land has not already caused permanent damage to the environment, it is on track to if it is not restored. Catching on to hazardous areas like this early is very important because then you can monitor and stop anything more harmful to happen to its surroundings. The cleanup of this area will improve the living conditions for the nearby homes and the

Slat, Boyan. “First 100,000 Kg Removed from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch • UPDATES •

The Ocean Cleanup.” The Ocean Cleanup, 25 July 2022,

https://theoceancleanup.com/updates/first-100000-kg-removed-from-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch/. 

This article is about how now there has officially been over 100,000 kg extracted from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The machine they are using to pick up the trash is called System 002, and it was first put in the water in August 2021, and in only 45 removals it has removed 101,353 kg from the GPGP (Great Pacific Garbage Patch). Due to the 7,173 kg of already removed trash from an earlier machine, there has now been 108,526 kg removed from the GPGP. Now, they are moving on to a new prototype, System 03, and this is predicted to remove trash around ten times faster than the previous machine.

This article is related to environmental science because it is very important news about the cleanup of the ocean. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is 1.6 million square kilometers of trash in the middle of the pacific ocean. This pollution in the ocean is a large issue for our environment because it is harming the ecosystem. I think that this is very important and that they are doing a very good job beginning to clear it up. There is definitely still a long way to go, but this is a big improvement. 

Lipp, Kenneth. “County Moving Forward with King Salvage Cleanup.” Newport News Times, 19

Aug. 2022,

https://www.newportnewstimes.com/news/county-moving-forward-with-king-salvage-cleanup/article_8022e162-1f42-11ed-a8b7-73d9e15a3958.html. 

In Lincoln County, Oregon there is a salvage yard called King Savage, and it was added to the “Confirmed Release” list in 2001. This is because of the hazardous amount of oil being released from the old automobiles. There was lots of waste at this salvage yard and it was in need of being cleaned up. In 2008 it was confirmed that there was “the presence of arsenic, chromium, lead, iron and petroleum hydrocarbons exceeding “risk-based concentration levels.”. In 2010, DEQ gained ownership of the land and began working with the county to clean it up. Now, in order to fully remedy the land, Lincoln County approved a request for more money to go toward this land. 

This is a very important cause because of the environmental harm being caused by areas like these. Without the restoration of this land, these chemicals and oils would continue to spread and contaminate this area, and now this land can return to being a healthy area. Areas like these can often get overlooked and this is a large issue because most of the time once these areas are inspected they find many hazardous and harmful things that need to be fixed. 

“State AG Orders Full Cleanup of South Buffalo’s Battaglia Demolition.” State AG Orders Full

Cleanup of Battaglia Demolition, 25 Aug. 2022,

https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/buffalo/news/2022/08/25/state-ag-orders-full-cleanup-of-south-buffalo-s-battaglia-demolition. 

Battaglia Demolition in Buffalo, New York has been ordered by the state to have complete cleanup. The site was very harmful to the environment and its surroundings. Attorney General Letitia James said, “For years, dust, noise, odor, and other environmental assaults caused by the Battaglia facility plagued communities in South Buffalo, threatening residents’ health, wellbeing, and quality of life”. The site was polluting the air surrounding it and it was becoming very miserable for the people living near it. Although the site was closed down in 2018, its hazardous effects stayed behind, and therefore it is very important that the facility gets cleaned up. 

The cleanup of facilities polluting our air and noise is very important. There are many sites like this that are harming our environment and it is necessary that we continue making sure they become restored. In the article, Letitia James states, “New Yorkers deserve clean, safe, and healthy environments to call home, and my office will always work to uphold those standards statewide.” This is a largely necessary part of cleaning up the environment because it is damaging the current living conditions of many people and it is contributing to issues in the environment like climate change.