Photo by Brooke Thorington
Governor John Bel Edwards formally asked the Environmental Protection Agency to have Capitol Lakes declared as a Superfund site. Edwards said the letter he sent last week is the final step to make the long-polluted lakes eligible for federal assistance.
“This makes it eligible for federal cleanup, oversight, and funding. And that typically happens with a 10% state match, 90% by the EPA,” said Edwards.
However, Edwards said the state match of 10 percent could be waved.
Capitol Lakes have been plagued by pollution since the early 1980s. Edwards said contamination from PCB was detected in the lakes on the north side of the Capitol Complex in 1983.
“And there were steps taken to try to encapsulate the contamination, however back in 2017 sampling by DEQ showed that the contamination was still present at unacceptable levels,” said Edwards.
He said the contaminates weren’t encapsulated, and they are still present in the lakes. Edwards said unfortunately the state doesn’t have the resources for remediation and he’s asking the EPA for assistance.
“And now we have the opportunity to breathe new life into the lakes, make them safe for wildlife and recreational use. It is going to take some time, these things don’t happen immediately,” said Edwards.
Edwards said it could take three to five years before remediation work begins. Signage warning people not to consume fish from the lake has been there since the 1980s.
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