MPC remains on Superfund list

ATLANTA - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released an updated Administrator’s Emphasis List of Superfund sites April 16 that are targeted for intense attention. The former Mississippi Phosphates Corporation (MPC) site in Pascagoula, Miss., remains on the list. A great deal of progress has been made at the MPC site since it was added to the emphasis list, according to the federal agency. EPA formally added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List and proposed a $71M cleanup plan for portions of the site in January. (Source: EPA 04/16/18) The MPC facility ceased operations in December 2014 under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, leaving more than 700M gallons of low-pH, contaminated wastewater stored on site. More than 9M additional gallons of contaminated water is generated with every one inch of rainfall. Wastewater treatment is occurring at a rate of about 2M gallons a day at a cost of about $1M per month, per EPA's fact sheet on MPC.