Federal Independent Agencies
Here's a look at documents from federal independent agencies
Featured Stories
U.S. Chemical Safety Board Issues Investigation Update on Fatal October 2025 Explosions at Accurate Energetic Systems in McEwen, Tennessee
WASHINGTON, March 17 -- The U.S. Chemical Safety Board issued the following news release on March 16, 2026:
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U.S. Chemical Safety Board Issues Investigation Update on Fatal October 2025 Explosions at Accurate Energetic Systems in McEwen, Tennessee
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) today released an update on the agency's ongoing investigation into the catastrophic October 10, 2025, explosions at the Accurate Energetic Systems, LLC (AES) explosives manufacturing facility in McEwen, Tennessee that killed 16 people and injured several others.
At approximately 7:47
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WASHINGTON, March 17 -- The U.S. Chemical Safety Board issued the following news release on March 16, 2026:
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U.S. Chemical Safety Board Issues Investigation Update on Fatal October 2025 Explosions at Accurate Energetic Systems in McEwen, Tennessee
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) today released an update on the agency's ongoing investigation into the catastrophic October 10, 2025, explosions at the Accurate Energetic Systems, LLC (AES) explosives manufacturing facility in McEwen, Tennessee that killed 16 people and injured several others.
At approximately 7:47a.m. on October 10, 2025, multiple catastrophic explosions occurred inside Building 602 at the AES site. On the day of the incident, AES was manufacturing commercial explosive products called cast boosters in the building. The massive explosions fatally injured 16 employees who were working in Building 602 and injured seven others who were near the building.
CSB Chairperson Steve Owens said, "This is one of the deadliest industrial incidents in our country in years. The CSB's focus is to determine how and why this horrific event occurred and identify ways to help prevent a terrible tragedy like this from happening again."
The explosions destroyed Building 602, propelling debris more than 700 feet from the structure and producing a blast that was reportedly felt over 20 miles away. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the event registered as a 1.6-magnitude seismic event. At the time of the incident, approximately 24,600 pounds of explosive material were present in the building. The CSB estimates that about 23,000 pounds detonated, deflagrated, or burned during the event. Another 1,000 pounds of unexploded energetic material that had been launched from the building were recovered on-site and subsequently disposed of by burning it there.
AES manufactures a variety of explosive products used in military, aerospace, mining, avalanche control, and commercial demolition applications. The cast boosters being produced in Building 602 were explosive charges intended to be used to initiate larger detonations in industrial blasting applications. Building 602 consisted of a warehouse storing inert materials and an explosive product manufacturing area, separated by support facilities, including the supervisor offices, printing room, break room, bathrooms, and a room housing the boiler and other mechanical equipment. The explosive manufacturing area was two stories tall, with six kettles on the upper floor (mezzanine level), and three kettles on the ground level. Building 602 was not equipped with a sprinkler or deluge fire protection system.
Production of the cast booster involved a "melt-pour" process in which AES workers melted explosive materials in steam-jacketed kettles on the mezzanine level and mixed the materials with agitators. The molten explosive mixture was then transferred to ground level kettles, where AES workers removed the explosive mixture and poured it by hand into cardboard or plastic tubes, where the mixture cooled and solidified into cast booster charges. After the molten material solidified, AES packed the cast boosters into boxes -- again by hand -- and prepared them for shipment.
Large amounts of explosive materials were present throughout Building 602 on the day of the incident. In addition to the explosive material that was being actively processed, significant quantities of other explosive components and finished cast boosters were being cooled in fixtures, staged, or stored in various areas of the building at the time of the incident. All of these materials are classified as "high explosives," meaning that they can detonate when exposed to sufficient heat, friction, impact, or shock.
On the morning of the incident, several AES operators were pouring highly explosive mixtures into 14-ounce and 11-pound cast boosters, while other employees were managing kettles, preparing tubes, removing solidified boosters, packaging finished products, and handling materials.
CSB Investigator-In-Charge Cruz Redman said, "The first detonation created a pressure wave that set off additional explosives throughout the building. The series of explosions resulted in fatal injuries to sixteen AES employees, injures to several others, the destruction of Building 602, and damage to multiple surrounding structures."
The CSB's investigation is ongoing as investigators continue to gather facts and analyze several key areas related to the October 10, 2025 fatal incident, including AES's production process, the company's process safety management programs for explosives, the design and operation of the kettles used in the melt-pour manufacturing process, AES's safety practices and procedures, the sensitivity of the explosive materials being produced and handled, and industry safety guidance for commercial explosive manufacturing facilities.
The CSB is an independent, nonregulatory federal agency charged with investigating incidents and hazards that result, or may result, in the catastrophic release of extremely hazardous substances. The agency's core mission activities include conducting incident investigations to identify root cause of releases; formulating preventive or mitigative recommendations based on investigation findings and advocating for their implementation; issuing reports containing the findings, conclusions, and recommendations arising from incident investigations; and conducting studies on chemical hazards.
The agency's board members are appointed by the President subject to Senate confirmation. The Board does not issue citations or fines but makes safety recommendations to companies, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA.
Please visit our website, www.csb.gov. For more information, contact Director of External Affairs Hillary Cohen at Hillary.Cohen@csb.gov.
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Original text here: https://www.csb.gov/us-chemical-safety-board-issues-investigation-update-on-fatal-october-2025-explosions-at-accurate-energetic-systems-in-mcewen-tennessee/
Smithsonian Institution: Cannibalism Takes Major Bite Out of Young Blue Crabs, But the Shallows Offer a Refuge
WASHINGTON, March 17 (TNSjou) -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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Cannibalism Takes Major Bite Out of Young Blue Crabs, but the Shallows Offer a Refuge
Smithsonian Study Finds Juvenile Crabs Rely on Shrinking Shallow-Water Habitats To Escape Cannibalism by Adults
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The Chesapeake Bay's most popular crustacean has a dark streak. Cannibalism is the No. 1 killer of juvenile blue crabs in mid-salinity waters where they are known to congregate, according to a new study from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) published March 16 in Proceedings
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WASHINGTON, March 17 (TNSjou) -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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Cannibalism Takes Major Bite Out of Young Blue Crabs, but the Shallows Offer a Refuge
Smithsonian Study Finds Juvenile Crabs Rely on Shrinking Shallow-Water Habitats To Escape Cannibalism by Adults
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The Chesapeake Bay's most popular crustacean has a dark streak. Cannibalism is the No. 1 killer of juvenile blue crabs in mid-salinity waters where they are known to congregate, according to a new study from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) published March 16 in Proceedingsof the National Academy of Sciences. But shallow waters can offer a vital refuge.
Blue crabs lead a life on the run. After spending roughly two months as larvae in the ocean, they are swept back into the lower bay to morph into juvenile crabs. There, the juveniles rely on seagrass to provide partial refuge from predatory fish like striped bass. But after they grow to about 1 inch, many of them migrate up the bay to mid-salinities, where fish and seagrasses are scarcer. There they face another enemy: larger blue crabs.
"Blue crabs are notoriously cannibalistic," said Tuck Hines, marine biologist and director emeritus of SERC. But although cannibalism is common throughout aquatic ecosystems, he added, long-term studies attempting to quantify it are rare. And the data could make a difference for managers trying to keep the blue crab fishery sustainable.
Hines led the 37-year field study. His team sought to find out what is eating young blue crabs and what makes them less vulnerable. The study began in 1989, when Hines headed SERC's Fish and Invertebrate Ecology Lab. It took place in the Rhode River, a mid-salinity tributary of Chesapeake Bay located at SERC's campus in Edgewater, Maryland.
The team conducted the study by attaching juvenile crabs to small metallic spikes in the water, with a 1-meter tether that allowed the crabs to move around. Tethering allows juvenile crabs to spend much of their time buried in the sediment, avoiding predatory fish that hunt by sight. But buried juveniles are still vulnerable to large crabs that use chemical and tactile cues to detect buried prey. After 24 hours, the researchers returned to the sites to see how the crabs had fared. Most crabs in the study--roughly 74%--survived, and over half remained unscathed and were released back into the bay.
The biologists detected hallmarks of cannibalism on 42% of the crabs--either alive with injuries or killed with some remains left behind. They found no evidence of fish predators in the study, suggesting that mid-salinity rivers do offer a refuge from some predators.
"We were amazed to find that over our 37-year study, cannibalism accounted for all of the predation, and we found no fish predation on tethered crabs," Hines said.
"We've recorded a few of the tethering experiments with a high-resolution sonar," said Matt Ogburn, a research ecologist at SERC and coauthor on the study. "In the sonar videos, most fish didn't show any interest in the tethered crabs, and only adult crabs attacked them."
The smallest crabs were the most vulnerable, and more than twice as likely to get eaten compared to medium or large juveniles. But in shallow waters they were far safer. In the experiment, a small juvenile crab was 60-80% likely to get eaten in deeper waters (1.3 to 2.5 feet deep). But in the shallowest zones (15 centimeters or a half-foot), they were only about 30% likely to be cannibalized. This rule of safety in the shallows held true for larger juveniles as well.
Scientists are working on a new stock-assessment model for blue crabs in the Chesapeake that is expected to come out later this year. SERC ecologists Matt Ogburn and Rob Aguilar are both part of the team. The long-term data from this study can help make the new model more accurate--especially the discovery that most cannibalism is focused on smaller juvenile crabs.
Knowing that juveniles become less susceptible to cannibalism as they grow is important for getting the new model right," said Ogburn.
Meanwhile, shallow-water havens are at risk. Seawalls, riprap (a layer of large stones to protect soil from erosion) and other shoreline-hardening projects are shrinking the nearshore territory where young blue crabs can escape. Invasions by non-native species, especially blue catfish, also may impact blue crabs and further diminish these shallow refuge areas, as highlighted in the study.
"The nearshore shallows of the mid-salinity zone provide juvenile crabs with a crucial refuge habitat from cannibalism by large crabs," Hines said. The authors point out that with cannibalism so intense and predators in every region of the bay, protecting these nearshore habitats--and restoring them where they have been lost--is critical for stabilizing blue crab numbers and protecting the blue crab fishery as a whole.
Smith College and the University of North Florida also contributed to the study. A copy of the study (https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2533461123) is available on the journal's website. For photos or to speak with one of the authors, contact Kristen Goodhue at goodhuek@si.edu.
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Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/cannibalism-takes-major-bite-out-young-blue-crabs-shallows-offer-refuge
Office of Advocacy Marks 49th State Visit With Hawaii Small Businesses Roundtable
WASHINGTON, March 17 -- The Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy issued the following news release on March 16, 2026:
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Office of Advocacy Marks 49th State Visit with Hawaii Small Businesses Roundtable
Hawaii Small Businesses Roundtable
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On Monday, March 9, Trent Staggs, Region 8 Advocate for the Office of Advocacy (Advocacy), heard directly from over 30 small businesses about burdensome federal red tape during a roundtable event in Honolulu, Hawaii. Advocacy is the independent voice for small business within the executive branch.
According to Advocacy's 2025 Small Business
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WASHINGTON, March 17 -- The Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy issued the following news release on March 16, 2026:
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Office of Advocacy Marks 49th State Visit with Hawaii Small Businesses Roundtable
Hawaii Small Businesses Roundtable
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On Monday, March 9, Trent Staggs, Region 8 Advocate for the Office of Advocacy (Advocacy), heard directly from over 30 small businesses about burdensome federal red tape during a roundtable event in Honolulu, Hawaii. Advocacy is the independent voice for small business within the executive branch.
According to Advocacy's 2025 Small BusinessProfile for Hawaii, there are 144,375 small businesses in the state, accounting for 99.3% of businesses. Additionally, there are 251,556 small business employees, or 49.6% of Hawaii's employees.
One of the regulations discussed during the roundtable was the Department of War's (DoW) Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Program (CMMC). In 2024, DoW published the final rules for CMMC. In 2025, the Defense Acquisition Regulation Supplement posted rules to incorporate this into all contracts. Advocacy filed comments stating that DoW underestimated the costs of compliance. One Hawaii small business shared that the required software cost them $60,000 for five users in addition to another $10,000-15,000 for the needed policies and procedures.
In addition to the roundtable event, Staggs also visited three small businesses in the food and restaurant industries. The feedback collected during the roundtable event and site visits will be processed and relayed to the White House, Congress, and the appropriate federal agencies in Washington, D.C., all in an effort to reduce the regulatory burdens on Hawaii's small businesses.
"The feedback small businesses shared with me during Monday's roundtable event will greatly inform the Office of Advocacy's ongoing conversations with federal rule makers. It was an honor to meet with so many small businesses and hear what federal red tape needs to be modified or rescinded so they can flourish," said Staggs. "The Office of Advocacy will always elevate the nationwide voices of small businesses in Washington, D.C."
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Created by Congress in 1976, the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration is an independent voice for small business within the executive branch. Appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, the Chief Counsel for Advocacy directs the office. The Chief Counsel advances the views, concerns, and interests of small business before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, federal courts, and state policymakers. Economic research, policy analyses, and small business outreach help identify issues of concern. Regional Advocates and an office in Washington, DC, support the Chief Counsel's efforts. For more information on the Office of Advocacy, visit advocacy.sba.gov or call (202) 205-6533.
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Original text here: https://advocacy.sba.gov/2026/03/16/office-of-advocacy-marks-49th-state-visit-with-hawaii-small-businesses-roundtable/
First Exhibition to Explore Photography's Relationship With Resource Extraction Opening at the National Gallery of Art
WASHINGTON, March 17 -- The National Gallery of Art issued the following news release:
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First Exhibition to Explore Photography's Relationship with Resource Extraction Opening at the National Gallery of Art
Beneath the Surface to feature some 150 photographs by 100 artists spanning 185 years of society and industry in the United States
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The National Gallery of Art presents Beneath the Surface: Mining and American Photography, the first exhibition to exclusively examine the relationship between resource extraction and American photography throughout its history. Spanning nearly 200 years,
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WASHINGTON, March 17 -- The National Gallery of Art issued the following news release:
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First Exhibition to Explore Photography's Relationship with Resource Extraction Opening at the National Gallery of Art
Beneath the Surface to feature some 150 photographs by 100 artists spanning 185 years of society and industry in the United States
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The National Gallery of Art presents Beneath the Surface: Mining and American Photography, the first exhibition to exclusively examine the relationship between resource extraction and American photography throughout its history. Spanning nearly 200 years,the exhibition examines how photographers have approached the challenge of capturing the significant but often hidden processes and impacts of the extraction of minerals, coal, and fossil fuels and its associated industries.
Featuring 150 photographs by more than 100 artists, including Richard Avedon, Walker Evans, Lewis Hine, LaToya Ruby Frazier, Dorothea Lange, David Maisel, Gordon Parks, Mitch Epstein, Carleton Watkins, Will Wilson, and more, Beneath the Surface reveals how generations of photographers have utilized evolving technologies and distinctive visual strategies to document the industries that power and shape modern life. Beneath the Surface will be on view at the National Gallery of Art from May 23 to August 23, 2026, before traveling to the Milwaukee Art Museum in Wisconsin and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, Texas.
"As a defining visual medium of our modern age, photography is an essential tool to capture and communicate our shared history," said Kaywin Feldman, director of the National Gallery of Art. "Beneath the Surface bring together a dynamic range of works to shed light on the medium's intersections with a shaping force in American history and industry."
The featured works, many of which are drawn from the National Gallery's significant photography collection, span early daguerreotypes from the time of the California Gold Rush in the mid-1800s to pictures of rapid industrialization in the 20th century and contemporary photographs produced at an immense scale. This expansive selection traces the layered history of extraction and how artists have used photography as a lens through which to communicate the industry's relationship with society and the natural world.
"Photography itself is dependent on precious metals for its very existence, from the light sensitivity of silver in early processes to the copper of contemporary digital-camera batteries. At the same time, it has been the principal visual medium employed to depict extractive industries, evolving alongside the expansion of mining on an industrial scale since the 19th century," said Diane Waggoner, co-curator of the exhibition and curator of photographs at the National Gallery of Art. "Beneath the Surface unites photographs made for a variety of purposes, from explicitly promotional and commercial uses to documentation efforts and socially engaged activism, shedding light on both the rewards and costs of resource extraction."
The exhibition orients visitors with an introductory gallery displaying contemporary work, foregrounding themes relevant to the current moment and providing a critical framework for understanding the six broad, chronological sections that follow. Viewers will encounter works not only by historical photographers recognized for their work in capturing mining, drilling, and industrial subjects, such as Carleton Watkins, Margaret Bourke-White, Marion Post Wolcott, and Bernd and Hilla Becher, but also by less expected practitioners Florence Kemmler, Alma Lavenson, and Mary Morris. The exhibition includes works by contemporary photographers Edward Burtynsky, Binh Danh, Terry Evans, Victoria Sambunaris, and Cara Romero, among others.
"For almost two centuries photographers have played a central role in public understanding of resource extraction, drawing on a succession of technologies and strategies to capture activities that enable modern life but resist portrayal," said Kristen Gaylord, co-curator of the exhibition and Herzfeld Curator of Photography and Media Arts at Milwaukee Art Museum. "This exhibition demonstrates how, time and again, photographers have creatively pushed against the medium's boundaries in a quest to impart the enormity of the country's extractive activities and their effects."
Beneath the Surface centers on the challenges artists face in capturing the colossal scale of extraction and its far-reaching impacts on communities and the environment. It also reveals the inventive strategies they have employed to depict this subject. The works on view reflect the full breadth of the medium, spanning landscapes, portraits of workers and panoramas of affected communities, photobooks, aerial imagery, analog and digital collage, camera-less photography, historical processes, narrative and performance work, and pictures that otherwise harness photography to communicate the scope of these industries.
Exhibition Tour
National Gallery of Art, Washington, May 23-August 23, 2026
Milwaukee Art Museum, October 23, 2026-January 18, 2027
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, February 14-May 9, 2027
Exhibition Organization and Support
The exhibition is organized by the National Gallery of Art in collaboration with the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.
Major support for the exhibition has been provided by the Center for Contemporary Documentation.
The exhibition is also made possible through the leadership support of the Trellis Charitable Fund.
Additional support for this exhibition was provided by Nion McEvoy and Leslie Berriman and the Edwin L. Cox Exhibition Fund.
Exhibition Curators
This exhibition is curated by Diane Waggoner, acting head and curator of photographs, National Gallery of Art, and Kristen Gaylord, Herzfeld Curator of Photography and Media Arts, Milwaukee Art Museum.
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About the National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art welcomes all people to explore art, creativity, and our shared humanity. Millions of people come through its doors each year--with even more online--making it one of the most visited art museums in the world. The National Gallery's renowned collection includes over 160,000 works of art, from the ancient world to today. Admission to the West and East Buildings, Sculpture Garden, special exhibitions, and public programs is always free.
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Beneath the Surface: Mining and American Photography
National Gallery of Art, Washington, May 23-August 23, 2026
Milwaukee Art Museum, October 23, 2026-January 17, 2027
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, February 14-May 9, 2027
Dependent on precious metals from its inception, photography has always been intertwined with the natural resources that are fundamental to modern industrialized life. Beneath the Surface: Mining and American Photography is the first exhibition to exclusively examine how photographers from the mid-19th century to today have powerfully captured the effects of resource extraction on the land and communities of the United States. Featuring some 150 photographs that span 185 years, this exhibition focuses especially on the subterranean removal of the minerals and fossil fuels that power this country's economy and industry. Together, these works demonstrate how photographers have drawn on changing technology and unique visual strategies to rise to the challenge of picturing these colossal industries.
Made for a variety of purposes, ranging from commercial boosterism and celebration of technical advancement to social documentation and community activism, the pictures in the exhibition shed light on how photography has revealed the costs of extraction and who benefits from its success. Divided into six broad, chronological sections that contextualize the complex history of photography and extraction, from daguerreotypes of the Gold Rush to large-scale, immersive photographs made in the last decade, Beneath the Surface highlights how artists have used photography to explore the relationship between extraction, society, and the environment.
This exhibition is curated by Diane Waggoner, curator of photographs, National Gallery of Art, and Kristen Gaylord, Herzfeld Curator of Photography and Media Arts, Milwaukee Art Museum.
The exhibition is organized by the National Gallery of Art, in collaboration with the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.
Major support for the exhibition has been provided by the Center for Contemporary Documentation.
The exhibition is also made possible through the leadership support of the Trellis Charitable Fund.
Additional support for this exhibition was provided by Nion McEvoy and Leslie Berriman.
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Original text here: https://www.nga.gov/press/first-exhibition-explore-photographys-relationship-resource-extraction-opening-national-gallery-art
EPA to Take Over Potomac River Water Quality Sampling Near Interceptor Site
WASHINGTON, March 16 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA to Take Over Potomac River Water Quality Sampling Near Interceptor Site
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WASHINGTON - Today, as part of the ongoing federal response to the Potomac Interceptor collapse, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will assume responsibility for water quality sampling previously conducted by the DC Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE). EPA will utilize the same locations as the previous DOEE sampling, which can be seen on the map below.
"Since President Trump immediately granted
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WASHINGTON, March 16 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA to Take Over Potomac River Water Quality Sampling Near Interceptor Site
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WASHINGTON - Today, as part of the ongoing federal response to the Potomac Interceptor collapse, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will assume responsibility for water quality sampling previously conducted by the DC Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE). EPA will utilize the same locations as the previous DOEE sampling, which can be seen on the map below.
"Since President Trump immediately grantedDC's request for federal assistance responding to the sewage crisis at the Potomac Interceptor site, EPA has led a successful, coordinated federal effort," said EPA Senior Response Officer and Assistant Administrator for Water Jess Kramer. "EPA taking over the daily water sampling is the next step in that coordinated federal response. We will provide accurate, timely results to the public and continue working to ensure that repairs and remediation occur as quickly as possible."
EPA will conduct sampling daily, which will continue to be processed at EPA's Environmental Science Center located at Fort Meade, MD. The results for each day's sampling will be evaluated and quality assured before being posted publicly on DOEE's Potomac Interceptor Monitoring Exit EPA's website webpage. Postings for each sample result will be available approximately three days after each sampling event occurs.
In addition to water quality sampling, EPA and its federal partners have and continue to assist on the ground, providing stormwater diversion and management infrastructure, site remediation work, and general technical assistance.
Background
The Potomac Interceptor is a sanitary sewer line in Maryland that conveys up to 60 million gallons of wastewater every day from parts of Virginia and Maryland to DC Water's Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant. A collapse occurred late Monday, January 19, 2026, in a 72-inch diameter section of the pipe causing hundreds of millions of gallons of untreated sewage to escape and impact the nearby Potomac River. The Potomac Interceptor is managed by DC Water.
Early in the morning of January 25, 2026, DC Water activated a controlled bypass system that utilizes a portion of the C&O Canal to protect the Potomac River from further contamination by containing the spill and redirecting it back into an undamaged portion of the Potomac Interceptor where it is transported for treatment.
According to the operators of the Washington Aqueduct, which collects source water to be treated and distributed as safe drinking water, there has been no impact to drinking water. Any sewage overflow that occurred has been downstream of the Aqueduct's primary intake facility.
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Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-take-over-potomac-river-water-quality-sampling-near-interceptor-site
EPA Proposes Plan to Step Up Groundwater Cleanup at San Fernando Valley Superfund Site, Increasing Supply of Safe Drinking Water
WASHINGTON, March 16 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA Proposes Plan to Step Up Groundwater Cleanup at San Fernando Valley Superfund Site, Increasing Supply of Safe Drinking Water
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LOS ANGELES - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a proposed plan to address a contaminated groundwater plume at the San Fernando Valley (Area 2) Superfund site, located near the city of Glendale. The agency is seeking public input on the plan and will consider all comments before selecting a final cleanup plan.
"EPA encourages the community
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WASHINGTON, March 16 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA Proposes Plan to Step Up Groundwater Cleanup at San Fernando Valley Superfund Site, Increasing Supply of Safe Drinking Water
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LOS ANGELES - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a proposed plan to address a contaminated groundwater plume at the San Fernando Valley (Area 2) Superfund site, located near the city of Glendale. The agency is seeking public input on the plan and will consider all comments before selecting a final cleanup plan.
"EPA encourages the communityto learn about our proposed Area 2 cleanup plan and share their perspectives," said EPA Pacific Southwest Region Superfund and Emergency Management Director Michael Montgomery. "This proposal is an important step forward to protect groundwater and ensure safe drinking water for communities in the San Fernando Valley."
Area 2 is one of four Superfund sites in the San Fernando Valley, covering approximately 6,680 acres. Groundwater in the area has been contaminated with hazardous chemicals from former aerospace and other industrial activities. Since 2000, EPA's groundwater treatment system has made more than 58 billion gallons of groundwater safe for drinking and all water currently served to the public meets state and federal health and safety standards.
EPA's proposed plan includes:
* increasing the volume of groundwater pumped by existing extraction wells,
* installing a new groundwater well at the southern wellfield,
* adding an activated carbon treatment unit to improve operational reliability,
* reducing maintenance demands,
* and upgrading the chromium treatment unit.
These actions will further strengthen the existing cleanup that contains the groundwater plume beneath Glendale and reduce overall contamination levels.
The 30-day public comment period for the proposed plan runs from March 16, 2026, to April 14, 2026. EPA will host one in-person public meeting and one virtual public meeting to discuss the Proposed Plan:
* March 25, 2026, 5:30-7:30 p.m. -Glendale Arts & Culture Library, 222 E. Harvard Street, Glendale, CA 91205
EPA will give an overview of the Proposed Plan and accept verbal and written comments. The meeting will be transcribed. No registration is required.
* April 1, 2026, 5:30-7:30 p.m. -Virtual meeting via Zoom.
An overview of the site and time for questions will be provided. Comments will not be accepted.
To register for the online meeting, visit the San Fernando Valley Area 2 Superfund site webpage Exit EPA's website.
Background
The San Fernando Valley Superfund site was added to EPA's National Priority List on October 15, 1984. The federal Superfund program, established by Congress in 1980, investigates and cleans up the most complex, uncontrolled, or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country and endeavors to return them to productive use.
For more information about the San Fernando Valley (Area 2) Superfund site and to review the Proposed Plan, visit the San Fernando Valley Area 2 Superfund site webpage Exit EPA's website.
Learn about EPA's Pacific Southwest Region Exit EPA's website. Connect with us on Facebook Exit EPA's website, Instagram Exit EPA's website, and X Exit EPA's website.
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Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-proposes-plan-step-groundwater-cleanup-san-fernando-valley-superfund-site
EPA Announces Proposed Cleanup Plan for Federated Metals Superfund Site in Northwest Indiana
WASHINGTON, March 16 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA Announces Proposed Cleanup Plan for Federated Metals Superfund Site in Northwest Indiana
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Agency to hold March 26 public meeting to discuss proposed plan
CHICAGO (March 16, 2026) - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the proposed plan to clean up lead-contaminated residential properties, as part of the agency's efforts to address the Federated Metals Corp. Superfund site in Whiting and Hammond, Indiana.
Under this proposed cleanup plan, EPA will remove soil at
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, March 16 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA Announces Proposed Cleanup Plan for Federated Metals Superfund Site in Northwest Indiana
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Agency to hold March 26 public meeting to discuss proposed plan
CHICAGO (March 16, 2026) - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the proposed plan to clean up lead-contaminated residential properties, as part of the agency's efforts to address the Federated Metals Corp. Superfund site in Whiting and Hammond, Indiana.
Under this proposed cleanup plan, EPA will remove soil atapproximately 160 properties where previous sampling found concentrations of lead higher than 200 parts per million. Crews will excavate to a depth of 12 inches, cover any deeper contamination with a visual barrier, backfill excavated areas with clean soil, and restore yards as close as possible to their pre-excavation condition.
The proposed plan and a fact sheet are available on the Federated Metals Corp. Superfund website.
Public comments will be accepted through April 15. Members of the public can submit their comments in the following ways:
* Online, using EPA's web form
* By email: palomeque.adrian@epa.gov
* By mail (postmarked by April 15):
Adrian Palomeque, U.S. EPA Region 5
25063 Center Ridge Road (Mail Code: ECW-W)
Westlake, Ohio 44145
* In-person at a public meeting:
When
Thursday, March 26
6 - 7:45 p.m.
Where
Whiting High School Auditorium
1751 Oliver Street
Whiting, Indiana
Background:
From 1937 through 1983, Federated Metals Corp operated a 36-acre smelting, refining, recovery and recycling facility along the border of Hammond and Whiting. Lead and arsenic from the facility spread into soil on residential and commercial properties in the surrounding neighborhoods.
In 2018 and 2019, EPA excavated lead-contaminated soil from 33 residential properties where sensitive populations lived. Between 2021 to 2024, the City of Hammond excavated lead-contaminated soil from approximately 60 additional properties. In September 2023, EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List. EPA continues to investigate the site to better understand contamination in the area and to sample to determine whether additional properties need to be addressed.
To learn more, please visit EPA's Federated Metals Corp. Superfund website.
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Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-announces-proposed-cleanup-plan-federated-metals-superfund-site-northwest-indiana
