California Department of Toxic Substances Control:
Methods to apply spatial and spectral data to meet the challenges posed by extensive superfund cleanup efforts.
Superfund States Ranked
After decades of loosely regulated business and military operations in the 20th century, the United States accumulated copious numbers of hazardous waste sites. These sites pose a serious threat to human and environmental health. In 1980, President Carter passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act which was administered by the Environmental Protection Agency. This enabled the government to fund cleanup efforts when the liable parties do not possess the financial capacity to administer their own environmental cleanup.
California Department of Toxic Substances Control
The CDTSC was established in 1991 to provide cleanup efforts, site contamination mitigation, funding, testing, and public information regarding hazardous waste sites throughout California. However, the department hosts a lot of other services. These include emergency response, law enforcement, permitting, criminal investigations, human and ecological risk assessments, biomonitoring, chemical research, hazardous waste tracking systems, and more.
California Superfund Web App
Web app of California superfund sites by county. Click the legend to view heat map or county data, or use the summary tool to filter by county or map extent.
Our Local Superfund Cluster
Superfund Sites near Redlands, California
Sites Close to Home
- Stringfellow Acid Pits in Riverside, CA
- Excessive levels of trichloroethene and chloroform vapor intrusion
- Highlights the proximity to residential neighborhoods
- Increased risk due to elevation and toxic runoff
- $52,000,000 project
- Approximately 275,000 cubic yards of soil and natural aquafers contaminated with creosote - a highly toxic wood preservative - which is trapped in a corroding metal tank
- Proximity to a recreational area
- Phase 1: $36,000,000 Phase 2 $60,000,000 Annual operating costs of $750,000
- Expected completion by 2032
- Visible lack of vegetation on site
- 80-ft deep metal wall contains leaks - not 100% effective
Recent Case Study - Brain Tumor Cluster at NJ School
Colonia High School
Colonia High School in Colonia, New Jersey, has recently had students and faculty developing brain tumors.
Cornell Dubilier Electronics
A superfund site which is located 5 miles from the high school. The site left hazardous waste which then polluted groundwater as well as nearby water ways.
UHOT
At this location there was an unregulated heating oil tank. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection had to step in because there were fumes being emitted. Buried tanks are known to possibly emit cancer causing fumes.
Shell and the dump
This gas station is located right next to the school. This gas station was built over a previous dump. The dump polluted the groundwater and the gas station emits fumes which can cause cancer.
Streams Surrounding Colonia High School
The first report of a possible environmental catastrophe was on March 25th, 2022, a day of heavy rainfall. New Jersey had very little rain this year but on this day there was .6 inches of rainfall. This can cause runoff of toxic materials leading to harm which will trickle down from humans to the planet to the economy.
Additional Applications of GIS for CDTSC
Use of USGS satellite imagery
Remote Sensing Imagery of Washington State
- Remotely identify unhealthy vegetation which indicates toxic exposure
- Monitor land and sea for visual indications of disasters such as oil spills
- Identify illegal practices such as bilge dumping
Suitability analysis for toxic waste management facilities
- Criteria such as distance from populated areas, schools, protected lands/ecosystems, groundwater utilities, slope, and land availability
- Determining adverse health effects of the population surrounding superfund sites using business analyst
- Void analysis for potential new residents to avoid exposure to toxic substances
Facilitating cleanup efforts by AI optimization
- Using indoor analytics to organize and streamline facility operations such as waste storage and removal
- Leakage detection and use of surveys to track data
- Optimal route generation for waste transportation
- Statewide GHG reduction via efficient commute creation for all parties involved
