PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Environmental Protection Agency is hosting a public meeting to address ongoing concerns and recent discoveries at the Peck Iron and Metal Superfund site in Portsmouth.
The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 8, at 6:15 p.m. at Portsmouth City Hall.
Located at the end of the South Norfolk Jordan Bridge and fenced off with a danger sign, the site was originally used for processing scrap metal from military bases. It has been on the EPA's National Priority Superfund list since November 2009.
Around 2019, EPA assessments found the soil highly contaminated with carcinogenic chemical compounds and heavy metals, including cobalt and lead.
"They did find that the soil is highly contaminated with carcinogenic, chemical compounds, and heavy metals," Lisa Renee Jennings with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation said.
"Anytime, we have flooding, heavy rains, which we experience, often now, that's going to move those, those contaminants are mobile," Jennings said.
In July 2023, the EPA issued a Record of Decision documenting a preferred remedy for on-site soils and sediments. During a Pre-Design Investigation in January 2024, military ordnance with intact explosives was discovered. Virginia State Police safely destroyed the materials on-site.
In 2024, the site was cleared of overgrowth, and a radiological survey found multiple small objects coated with paint containing radium-226. These items were transported off-site for safe disposal.
Digging activities were temporarily halted but concluded in March 2025 after the EPA worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The EPA is now preparing a Focused Feasibility Study to assess if the original remedy is still appropriate.
The site's history and unknown long-term health risks have raised concerns for neighbors in the nearby Cradock neighborhood.
"When I first heard about the site, of course, I was concerned, having already been a resident for a while, and I had small children at the time. I wanted to know the implications of that site being there, both for myself and my children and for future generations," Monique Doutre said.
Doutre says she's interested in what will happen to the area next.
"I still wanna know when we can use that land, what it can be used for, and how that's gonna impact future generations," Doutre said.
When it comes to human health risk, Jennings says attending the public meeting is where people will learn more.
"That remains unknown. It is unknown, which is why we're encouraging people to show up at City Hall and ask their questions," Jennings said.
Portsmouth hosts four primary National Priorities List Superfund sites associated with industrial, foundry, and military operations, including Abex Corp., Atlantic Wood Industries, Inc., Norfolk Naval Shipyard, and Peck Iron and Metal.
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