The Herald-Times
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to remove three Bloomington Superfund sites from its National Priorities List, in what one federal official called a “milestone” in the decades-long effort to mitigate hazardous materials contamination.
Current and former city officials and others involved in the effort said the agency’s step was generally good news for Bloomington, but some also cautioned the community to remain vigilant.
The three sites a limestone quarry pit at the former Bennett Stone Quarry, Lemon Lane Landfill and Neal’s Landfill all have been contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, a group of man-made organic chemicals used in industrial and commercial applications such as plastics, pigments and electrical equipment. According to the EPA, they can damage the nervous and reproductive systems and can cause cancer.