U.S. EPA adds Halaco site to Superfund’s National Priorities List

LOS ANGELES - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is adding the Halaco Engineering site, located in Oxnard, Calif., to the National Priorities List of Superfund sites.

Halaco is a former metal smelting plant that operated in Oxnard from 1965 to 2004.

“Through the EPA’s Superfund program, we are committed to identifying and reducing risks to human health and the environment from contaminated soils, sediments, surface water, and groundwater at the Halaco Engineering site,” said Keith Takata the EPA’s director of Superfund for the Pacific Southwest region. “The EPA will use its resources to see that any threats to the community from contamination at the site are addressed.”

In the last year, the EPA and one of the site owners have completed two actions to stabilize the site. In 2006, the owners removed drums and hazardous chemicals left at the site after Halaco shut down in 2004. Earlier this year, EPA stabilized the massive waste pile at the site to prevent the windborne movement of waste materials and erosion of wastes into the surrounding wetlands. The EPA also removed wastes from an adjacent wetland area and took steps to improve site security.

The EPA will hold a community meeting Sept. 24, to update the community on the nature and extent of soil, sediment and water contamination at the site; risks presented by site contaminants; development of a comprehensive cleanup plan; site security and other concerns. The meeting will take place at the:

South Oxnard Community Center
200 E. Bard Rd., Oxnard, Calif. 93033
Monday, September 24, 2007
7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Halaco Engineering is the only site in California added to the National Priorities List today. The other six sites added today are in Illinois; Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New Jersey, Oregon and Utah.

For Federal Register notices and supporting documents for these final and proposed sites, please visit http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/current.htm