Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    • Environmental Topics
    • Air
    • Bed Bugs
    • Chemicals, Toxics, and Pesticide
    • Emergency Response
    • Environmental Information by Location
    • Health
    • Land, Waste, and Cleanup
    • Lead
    • Mold
    • Radon
    • Research
    • Science Topics
    • Water Topics
    • A-Z Topic Index
    • Laws & Regulations
    • By Business Sector
    • By Topic
    • Compliance
    • Enforcement
    • Guidance
    • Laws and Executive Orders
    • Regulations
    • Report a Violation
    • Environmental Violations
    • Fraud, Waste or Abuse
    • About EPA
    • Our Mission and What We Do
    • Headquarters Offices
    • Regional Offices
    • Labs and Research Centers
    • Planning, Budget, and Results
    • Organization Chart
    • EPA History

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. News Releases

EPA to Host Question and Answer Sessions on Proposed Addition of Georgetown North Site to EPA’s Superfund Clean-up List

April 7, 2022

Contact Information
(r3press@epa.gov)

PHILADELPHIA (April 7, 2022) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will host a conference call on Thursday, April 14, and an in-person session on Wednesday, April 20, to provide an opportunity for the public to ask questions about the March 18 proposed listing of the Georgetown North Groundwater Site in Sussex County, Delaware, to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL).

The NPL is EPA’s list of hazardous waste sites in the United States eligible for investigation and potential cleanup financed under the federal Superfund program.

These “open house” Q&A sessions will provide an opportunity for the Georgetown community to have their questions answered by EPA staff, and will take place:

Phone-In

Thursday, April 14: 6:00PM – 7:00PM
Phone Number: (484) 352-3221

Conference ID: 307589259#

In-Person

Wednesday, April 20: 5:30PM – 7:00 PM
Georgetown Public Library123 W. Pine Street
Georgetown DE 19947

Questions can be submitted in advance by emailing them to: 

Angela Ithier, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator, 215-814-5248, ithier.angela@epa.gov

The Site is a groundwater plume that has been polluted by a contaminant release and encompasses approximately one square-mile underlying commercial and residential areas within the town of Georgetown, in southern Delaware.  While the public drinking water in Georgetown meets state and federal standards, the groundwater is contaminated with the solvent tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and its breakdown products. PCE, sometimes referred to as perc, is an organic chemical introduced in the environment by commercial and industrial operations such as dry-cleaning facilities.  EPA considers PCE as likely to be carcinogenic to humans.

When EPA proposes to add a site to the NPL, the Agency publishes the proposed rule in the Federal Register and notifies the community through the local media so interested members of the community can comment on the proposal.  The comment period runs from March 18 until May 17, and EPA will consider those comments in the final decision on listing the Site on the NPL.

If after the formal comment period, EPA determines that the Site still qualifies for cleanup under Superfund, the Agency will publish a final rule in the Federal Register and Georgetown North Groundwater will become a Superfund Site.  EPA would then conduct a more comprehensive investigation of the Site, to determine the full nature and extent of contamination and to examine potential remedies. 

More information about the proposal can be found at: www.epa.gov/superfund/georgetowngroundwater

All comments received will be treated equally. During the comment period, comments may be submitted in one of two ways:

Online:  http://www.regulations.gov   Search for EPA-HQ-OLEM-2022-0190 

Mail:  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency  

           EPA Docket Center  

            Docket # EPA-HQ-OLEM-2022-0190 

           Mailcode 28221T  

           1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW  

           Washington, DC 20460   

For information about Superfund and the NPL: http://www.epa.gov/superfund

Related Links

  • Region 03
  • Read other EPA News Releases about Superfund and Brownfields
Contact Us about News Releases
Contact Us about News Releases to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on March 21, 2023
  • Assistance
  • Spanish
  • Arabic
  • Chinese (simplified)
  • Chinese (traditional)
  • French
  • Haitian Creole
  • Korean
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Tagalog
  • Vietnamese
United States Environmental Protection Agency

Discover.

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Budget & Performance
  • Contracting
  • EPA www Web Snapshot
  • Grants
  • No FEAR Act Data
  • Plain Writing
  • Privacy
  • Privacy and Security Notice

Connect.

  • Data
  • Inspector General
  • Jobs
  • Newsroom
  • Regulations.gov
  • Subscribe
  • USA.gov
  • White House

Ask.

  • Contact EPA
  • EPA Disclaimers
  • Hotlines
  • FOIA Requests
  • Frequent Questions
  • Site Feedback

Follow.