The government watchdog group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) led the letter, which was also signed by Natural Resources Defense Council, California Communities Against Toxics, and Committee to Bridge the Gap (CBG), among others. CBG previously raised the issue several years ago.
The groups argue EPA should close a major gap in making cleanups at Superfund, brownfields and other toxic sites more protective by ensuring remediated sites are safe enough to grow fruits and vegetables.
“Because of EPA’s failure to take into account risks from consuming food grown in chemically contaminated soil, hundreds of toxic sites around the country are not being cleaned up to levels that protect residents,” Jeff Ruch, Pacific director for PEER, says in a March 15 press release.
