Moulton: Oil Cleanup Will Leave Wilmington With Cleaner, Air, Land For Next Generation

Statement

Following news that the U.S. Environmental Protection (EPA) has approved a final decision on a cleanup plan for the Olin Chemical Superfund Site in Wilmington, Massachusetts, Rep. Seth Moulton released the following statement:

"For so long the headlines about the Olin site have been bad. Today's are good, and they're due to the 20-year effort from our community to fix the problem. My team and I have been working hard to get the EPA to clean up the site and eliminate the harmful pollutants that directly threaten the health of our residents and community.

The success of this cleanup will be measured in lives saved, illnesses prevented, and health care costs reduced--not to mention that a clean environment and a strong economy go hand in hand.

Government exists to serve us, collectively, and a good test of whether it is working for the people as designed is whether it leaves our land and our environment safer and cleaner for generations and generations to come.

We are grateful for the strong cooperation of businesses and leaders from our community who have fought beside us, and we are looking forward to continuing the work to guarantee that our communities get the clean water, land and air they need to thrive and live healthy lives."

BACKGROUND

This week's news is the latest step forward in a 20-year effort to protect the community by cleaning up the site.

The Boston Globe recently reported on a state government study that spanned two-decades and linked high rates of childhood cancer in Wilmington's children and their prenatal exposure to carcinogens from the site that seeped into the town's water.

Almost two years ago to the day, on April 4, 2019, Moulton announced that his office had successfully secured the Olin Cleanup a spot on the top of the EPA's to-do list.

While several entities have proposed new ideas for ways the site can be used once it is restored, Moulton attributes the progress to collaboration between the community, entrepreneurs and leaders at the local, state and federal level.

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