JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The 31-acre Kerr-McGee Jacksonville Superfund site on Talleyrand Avenue has been on the EPA’s priority list for cleanup since 2010.
A Superfund is a United States environmental remediation program that is responsible for cleaning up and addressing contaminated areas that pose threats to humans and the environment.
The Kerr-McGee site, which was closed in 1978, had been home to a manufacturing facility for fertilizers and pesticides since the 1890s.
EPA officials said the site is contaminated by toxic chemicals, including arsenic and heavy metals, that are leaching into the St. Johns River.
Cleanups happened at the site in 2020 and 2021. A big fence now surrounds the property to prevent people from gaining entry to it.
The previous cleanups targeted contaminated soil, groundwater, sediment and surface water.
A cleanup that will start this spring will also include air quality monitoring, along with dust and odor control.
Four community meetings are planned for Wednesday and Thursday, where people can hear from cleanup team members about what the process is going to look like and ask any questions they might have.
The first two sessions on Wednesday are virtual meetings from 12:30-1:30 p.m. and from 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Use https://us06web.zoom.us/j/9465848922 or enter https://tinyurl.com/jaxmeetings in your browser and use meeting ID 946 584 8922 and passcode B8U7EX to participate in the session via Zoom. Or you can call 646-876-9923 and use meeting ID 946 584 8922 and passcode 664564 to participate by phone.
The Thursday sessions will be in person at Silkie’s Chicken & Champagne Bar on Walnut Street from 12-2 p.m. and from 4:30-6:30 p.m.
The new phase of the cleanup is expected to take at least two years to complete.