EPA, City of Leon Valley, Rep. Joaquin Castro Celebrate Cleanup Work at Bandera Road Superfund Site from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding

 USEPA News Release:

EPA, City of Leon Valley, Rep. Joaquin Castro Celebrate Cleanup Work at Bandera Road Superfund Site from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding

DALLAS, TEXAS (January 30, 2024) – Today, officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Congressman Joaquin Castro’s (TX-20) office and Mayor Chris Riley celebrated the installation of cleanup equipment at the Bandera Road Superfund site in Leon Valley, Texas. The work was funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda.

 

“Thanks to funding from the Biden Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Leon Valley community is finally getting relief from harmful soil and groundwater contaminants at the Bandera Road site,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “Our thanks to the Community Advisory Group for their leadership in protecting precious water resources and providing a great example of how community members can organize and contribute to effective communications and cleanup at National Priorities List sites.”

“In 2021, I was proud to help pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to bring long-needed infrastructure investments and good-paying jobs to Texas,” said Congressman Joaquin Castro. “Three years later, we’re continuing to see those funds at work in South Texas. The cleanup equipment installed today will remove toxic chemicals from our groundwater, soil, and air and build a healthier future for communities in Leon Valley. I’m grateful to the EPA for prioritizing Superfund cleanup in San Antonio, and I look forward to working with the Biden-Harris administration to address more environmental issues in our community.”

 

"Our community is grateful to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Citizen's Advisory Group for their successful 20-year effort to identify, contain, and clean up the contamination from PCE (dry cleaner chemicals) at two former dry cleaning operations in Leon Valley," said Mayor Chris Riley.

 

During the event, RA Nance “flipped the switch” to activate cleanup equipment that was funded and installed through the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The equipment will remove perchloroethylene (PCE) contamination from groundwater, soil, soil vapor, and indoor air as outlined in the 2013 Record of Decision for the site. The Bandera Road site was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL) in 2007 to address PCE contamination from former dry-cleaning operations.

 

The Bandera Road site is one of many across the country to receive funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which invested $3.5 billion in environmental remediation at Superfund sites on the NPL. EPA is using BIL funds to clear the backlog of previously unfunded sites, start new construction projects when they are ready, and accelerate ongoing cleanups at NPL sites.

 

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