Media Release

Driven by the County Commission's Guiding Vision, everyday is Earth Day in Alachua County.  In April, each day leading up to Earth Day (April 22), the County will be highlighting programs, services, and strategies designed to lead Alachua County into a more sustainable future.

To view all "Earth Day Countdown" press releases on the County's Facebook page, click here and click on the Earth Day tab at the top of the page.

ALACHUA COUNTY, FL - The Alachua County Environmental Protection Department (ACEPD) continues to provide local technical oversight of the investigation and clean-up actitivies associated with the Cabot-Kopppers Superfund site and provide local technical support to United State Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 (USEPA) through a Cooperative Assistance Grant.   

Upcoming and recent major milestones for the site include:

• Koppers plant has ceased operations and the property owner is now Beazer East, Inc.
• Final Feasability Study (FS) for the Koppers Site cleanup is expected in April 2010.
• The Proposed Plan document from USEPA choosing the preferred remedy is expected in May 2010.
• The Final Record of Decision (ROD) document formalizing the remedy is expected by early summer 2010.
• USEPA has engaged a land re-use contactor, E²  Inc., to develop a possible future site use plan in coordination with the City of Gainesville.

The schedule and status of the Koppers Superfund process will be discussed at a joint City of Gainesville-Alachua County Commission Quarterly meeting scheduled for April 29, 2010, at 1 p.m., in the Jack Durrance Auditorium, room 209, County Administration Building (12 SE 1^st Street, Gainesville). 

Beazer East and USEPA are developing an expanded off-site soil sampling plan for the neighborhood west of the Koppers site to include residential properties.  Offsite soil sampling is also planned to the south, east and north of the Koppers site.  Sentinel wells are being installed north of the Koppers site to monitor groundwater off-site.  ACEPD is also working with USEPA and the Cabot Corporation to address the remediation of tar deposits in Springstead and Hogtown Creeks.   

ACEPD continues to perform field oversight of groundwater investigation and soil sampling activity at the site and respond to citizen inquiries for information.  "USEPA's process for selecting the remedy for the Koppers site is reaching a critical final phase in the next several months,"  said Dr. John Mousa, ACEPD Pollution Prevention Manager. "ACEPD's technical staff will continue to work cooperatively with the City of Gainesville, Gainesville Regional Utilities, the Alachua County Health Department and our local technical experts to review the final FS and Proposed Plan documents and provide input to USEPA to get a remedy that protects our local groundwater resources and minimizes impacts to surrounding neighborhoods."      

Click here for a library of project technical documents and reports concerning the Cabot-Koppers Superfund Site.

For more information about the Cabot-Koppers Superfund Site, contact John Mousa at 352-264-6805 or at jjm@alachuacounty.us.  

40 Days of Change - For more information concerning events on and leading up to Earth Day, go to the University of Florida, Office of Sustainability's "40 Days of Change" website by clicking here.