'Six things you should know about CIR’s Superfund investigation' diff viewer (0/1)

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Six things you should know about CIR’s Superfund investigation	Six things you should know about CIR’s Superfund investigation
2014-03-17 16:35:05 UTC	2014-03-17 17:10:07 UTC (35 minutes later)
Our	Our
investigation tells the story of the toxic trail of unintended	investigation tells the story of the toxic trail of unintended
consequences left behind by the landmark federal Superfund program.	consequences left behind by the landmark federal Superfund program.
It’s	It’s
a complicated story to report and tell. The Environmental Protection	a complicated story to report and tell. The Environmental Protection
Agency doesn’t track these side effects. It considers them too	Agency doesn’t track these side effects. It considers them too
difficult to measure. Companies, meanwhile, aren’t required to	difficult to measure. Companies, meanwhile, aren’t required to
report where they send their waste.	report where they send their waste.
In many cases,	In many cases,
data is incomplete or nonexistent. That forced us to piece together a	data is incomplete or nonexistent. That forced us to piece together a
story based on the best available documents, data, studies and scores	story based on the best available documents, data, studies and scores
of interviews.	of interviews.
Here are six	Here are six
important things to know about the reporting and storytelling.	important things to know about the reporting and storytelling.
1. Our	1. Our
story doesn’t cover the entire Superfund program	story doesn’t cover the entire Superfund program
There are	There are
more than 1,300 toxic waste sites in the Superfund program.	more than 1,300 toxic waste sites in the Superfund program.
We	We
zoomed in on a specific type of site. Scientific jargon alert: they’re called complex groundwater sites, which are	zoomed in on a specific type of site. Scientific jargon alert: they’re called complex groundwater sites, which are
polluted	polluted
with volatile	with volatile
organic compounds. What that means: the groundwater is	organic compounds. What that means: the groundwater is
contaminated with	contaminated with
hard-to-clean chemicals. Cleanup is complicated further by the fact	hard-to-clean chemicals. Cleanup is complicated further by the fact
that the ground underneath often is made up of many different types	that the ground underneath often is made up of many different types
of soil and rock.	of soil and rock.
These	These
account for roughly 850 Superfund sites. From there, we zoomed in	account for roughly 850 Superfund sites. From there, we zoomed in
even further to focus only on those using a specific type of	even further to focus only on those using a specific type of
treatment, called “pump	treatment, called “pump
and treat”.	and treat”.
There are two	There are two
reasons why we focused on these sites. First, the technology used to	reasons why we focused on these sites. First, the technology used to
clean them up is outdated and, in many cases, no longer effective.	clean them up is outdated and, in many cases, no longer effective.
Second, the cleanup contributes tons of waste to the toxic trail	Second, the cleanup contributes tons of waste to the toxic trail
every year. That means the effort can ultimately be for naught.	every year. That means the effort can ultimately be for naught.
There	There
are more than 450 sites like this – or about one-third of all	are more than 450 sites like this – or about one-third of all
Superfund sites. Many of the other sites don’t contribute to any	Superfund sites. Many of the other sites don’t contribute to any
toxic trail. They treat the waste on-site	toxic trail. They treat the waste on-site
or use preventive	or use preventive
measures to keep the pollution contained.	measures to keep the pollution contained.
2. You	2. You
can’t directly track Superfund waste beyond one step of the trail	can’t directly track Superfund waste beyond one step of the trail
But you can	But you can
track it step by step along the way to create an overall picture of	track it step by step along the way to create an overall picture of
the toxic trail.	the toxic trail.
Once	Once
waste leaves a cleanup site, it can go to one of thousands of	waste leaves a cleanup site, it can go to one of thousands of
treatment plants across the country. At those plants, the waste gets	treatment plants across the country. At those plants, the waste gets
combined and treated with hazardous waste and other junk from all	combined and treated with hazardous waste and other junk from all
over the country.	over the country.
On	On
the other end, new waste gets created from that mix	the other end, new waste gets created from that mix
at treatment	at treatment
plants. In turn, it can then go to any number of sites, and so on and	plants. In turn, it can then go to any number of sites, and so on and
so on. You can’t paint one fleck of chemical from Silicon Valley	so on. You can’t paint one fleck of chemical from Silicon Valley
red and track it through the system. But we showed the many different	red and track it through the system. But we showed the many different
trails it can take.	trails it can take.
3.	3.
Available data and documentation is spotty	Available data and documentation is spotty
We often	We often
couldn’t get complete information for the system as a whole. We did	couldn’t get complete information for the system as a whole. We did
find individual reports and data that provided windows into it. They	find individual reports and data that provided windows into it. They
helped us quantify problems and take a unique look into how these	helped us quantify problems and take a unique look into how these
systems operate.	systems operate.
We	We
focused heavily on the Calgon Carbon Corporation’s treatment plant in	focused heavily on the Calgon Carbon Corporation’s treatment plant in
Kentucky, for example. We didn’t have complete figures on its	Kentucky, for example. We didn’t have complete figures on its
carbon footprint. There were, however, well-documented estimates for	carbon footprint. There were, however, well-documented estimates for
greenhouse gas emissions for a similar plant in Arizona. So we used	greenhouse gas emissions for a similar plant in Arizona. So we used
that to compile a composite picture of the carbon footprint along one	that to compile a composite picture of the carbon footprint along one
leg of this toxic trail.	leg of this toxic trail.
4. There	4. There
are thousands of other sites like these outside of the Superfund	are thousands of other sites like these outside of the Superfund
program	program
These are	These are
overseen by local, state and other federal agencies, and many face	overseen by local, state and other federal agencies, and many face
similar challenges. We didn’t dig into the efforts underway at	similar challenges. We didn’t dig into the efforts underway at
these sites. Instead, we tracked a single type of waste leaving the	these sites. Instead, we tracked a single type of waste leaving the
Silicon Valley site.	Silicon Valley site.
5. Lots of	5. Lots of
people live around these sites	people live around these sites
In	In
many cases, hundreds or even thousands of people live within a mile	many cases, hundreds or even thousands of people live within a mile
of a Superfund site. Nearly half	of a Superfund site. Nearly half
of all Americans	of all Americans
live within 10 miles of a Superfund site.	live within 10 miles of a Superfund site.
The city of	The city of
Mountain View, California, for example, is home to 75,000 people. They	Mountain View, California, for example, is home to 75,000 people. They
live above and around 13 Superfund sites. Here, people are	live above and around 13 Superfund sites. Here, people are
understandably concerned about exposure risks and want to see the	understandably concerned about exposure risks and want to see the
sites cleaned,	sites cleaned,
regardless of the	regardless of the
method.	method.
The level of	The level of
danger depends at each site.	danger depends at each site.
In	In
some cases, keeping contaminated groundwater out of the mouths of	some cases, keeping contaminated groundwater out of the mouths of
nearby residents is all that is required. But in others, there are	nearby residents is all that is required. But in others, there are
concerns that nearby residents could be breathing in toxic vapors or	concerns that nearby residents could be breathing in toxic vapors or
radiation. The EPA’s website generally lays out the risks at each	radiation. The EPA’s website generally lays out the risks at each
site using a 1-5 star system. One star means “beware” and five	site using a 1-5 star system. One star means “beware” and five
stars means “don’t worry.” You can find this information for	stars means “don’t worry.” You can find this information for
every site on the EPA’s	every site on the EPA’s
Superfund Site Information search page.	Superfund Site Information search page.
Yet, as our	Yet, as our
story showed, in many cases cleanup goals aren’t being achieved.	story showed, in many cases cleanup goals aren’t being achieved.
And the risk of exposure is often limited.	And the risk of exposure is often limited.
6. We used	6. We used
“Silicon Valley” as shorthand for the site we focused on. But	“Silicon Valley” as shorthand for the site we focused on. But
there are more than two dozen Superfund sites in Silicon Valley	there are more than two dozen Superfund sites in Silicon Valley
alone	alone
The	The
area we focused on is a collection of three sites known as the	area we focused on is a collection of three sites known as the
Middlefield-Ellis-Whisman	Middlefield-Ellis-Whisman
Study Area, or MEW for short. But that wasn’t fun to read or write.	Study Area, or MEW for short. But that wasn’t fun to read or write.
So we called it some variation of “the Silicon Valley site”	So we called it some variation of “the Silicon Valley site”
throughout the story.	throughout the story.
There	There
are more Superfund sites in Silicon Valley’s Santa Clara County	are more Superfund sites in Silicon Valley’s Santa Clara County
–	–
23 –	23 –
than any other county in the United States. These are the only	than any other county in the United States. These are the only
visible remnants of what was once a manufacturing hub for a	visible remnants of what was once a manufacturing hub for a
burgeoning tech industry.	burgeoning tech industry.
There	There
are two reasons why we homed in on this site. First, it’s where we	are two reasons why we homed in on this site. First, it’s where we
started our reporting more than a year ago, asking questions after	started our reporting more than a year ago, asking questions after
toxic	toxic
vapors leaked into office buildings.	vapors leaked into office buildings.
Second, the	Second, the
site has been studied extensively. This left behind a lengthy paper	site has been studied extensively. This left behind a lengthy paper
trail that details how much waste has been removed, the pollution	trail that details how much waste has been removed, the pollution
levels and cost estimates. These bits of information allowed us to	levels and cost estimates. These bits of information allowed us to
tell a more nuanced and complete story about the cleanup effort and	tell a more nuanced and complete story about the cleanup effort and
its shortcomings.	its shortcomings.
This	This
story was produced by the independent, nonprofit Center for	story was produced by the independent, nonprofit Center for
Investigative Reporting, the country’s largest investigative	Investigative Reporting, the country’s largest investigative
~~reporting team. For more, visit cironline.org. Drange can be reached~~	reporting team. For more, visit cironline.org. Rust can be reached at srust@cironline.org. Drange can be reached at mdrange@cironline.org.
~~at mdrange@cironline.org. Rust can be reached at srust@cironline.org.~~