Harvey Aftermath: Toxic Waste Sites Flooded

Published on by in Social

Harvey Aftermath: Toxic Waste Sites Flooded

At least 13 toxic waste sites in Texas were flooded or damaged by Hurricane Harvey, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

toxic-28714_960_720.pngThe agency announced Saturday that it had assessed 41 Superfund sites using aerial images, and determined the ones badly affected by the storm.

The impact of flooding on the sites is unknown. The EPA said its workers have not been able to "safely access the sites" but are ready to do so as soon as the floodwaters recede. In the Houston area, authorities had said it would take 10-15 days for floodwaters to recede.

A Superfund site is land that is contaminated by hazardous waste and identified by the EPA as a candidate for cleanup because it poses a risk to human health and/or the environment. The 13 affected sites have industrial waste from petrochemical companies, acid compounds, solvents and pesticides. 

Source: CNN

Media

Taxonomy