After years of waiting, residents living and working near a Superfund cleanup site in Pensacola, Fla. will have to wait some more.
With clean-up work slated to begin in July, those hoping the American Creosote Superfund site would finally be addressed received disappointing, though perhaps unsurprising, news: the timeline had been pushed back to September, extending a wait that has already stretched on for years.
For people in the neighborhood, the latest postponement is adding to the feeling that promises are made but seldom kept.
Here's what to know
An update from the city in April said the federal Environmental Protection Agency had funding for the first phase of the cleanup and expected work to begin in July, according to WEAR-TV. Shannon Nickinson, the City of Pensacola public information officer, said the start date is now September.
"They said they were supposed to start doing it, but I haven't seen anybody come out yet to start cleaning up the land yet," one resident told WEAR-TV.
D.C. Reeves, the Pensacola mayor, has said residents should soon start noticing visible activity connected to the cleanup.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
"We are finally at the part where you're going to start to see some of that work taking place, some of the yard scraping and some of those things that have been planned," Reeves said, per WEAR-TV. "There's not a change in that procedure, but again, there's always been, as we know for many years now, some time lapses in the plan being announced and then things actually happening."
A second resident told the station he would believe the cleanup was underway once he could actually see the work start.
More background
Superfund sites are heavily contaminated areas that fall under federal cleanup programs. Project delays can drag on for years because of funding issues, planning demands, and logistical challenges.
City leaders in Pensacola have emphasized that the cleanup is being run by the federal government. That means the federal government sets the schedule, decides what material is removed, and determines how quickly each phase of the project can proceed.
What's being done?
Pensacola officials say they are assisting the federal effort but have emphasized that EPA is still in charge of the operational decisions, such as how contaminated soil will be handled and where hazardous materials are taken.
"We facilitate anything EPA needs to be successful in that, but in terms of moving dirt, where it goes, procedure, timeline, schedule, funding, and all of those aspects of the ACW project are going to be run by the feds, by EPA," Reeves said, per WEAR-TV.
Where can I learn more?
Many of the same issues impacting Pensacola's long-delayed Superfund cleanup also affect communities across the country. The following stories show how cleanup policy and long-running exposure concerns can leave communities waiting for answers and visible action.
• In New York, officials created a first-of-its-kind Superfund program aimed at shifting climate costs from taxpayers.
• In Memphis, ethylene oxide emissions intensified fears about cancer risks in nearby neighborhoods.
• In Washington, state officials linked air pollution in communities to shorter life expectancies for vulnerable residents.
For these reasons, when health concerns drag on longer than the official response, public trust can wear down fast.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
