Matthew Di Vitto '20

Major: Environmental Science
Bio: Matthew Di Vitto is an Environmental Science Major applying for graduation in Spring of 2020. He has been interning at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the Superfund Division for close to a year and hopes to further his career in urban and environmental health. His project will explain the Superfund program, and some of the pathways through which a facility might qualify for remediation through the EPA

Title of Research: The impact of reckless pollution on human populations and environment: through the lens of Superfund at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Mentor: Dr. Grace Vernon
Abstract: Fictitious Mining Inc. is an imaginary mining company that operated within and polluted a fictional town called Carson Love in Upstate New York. During a boom in Carson Love’s population when the facility was most profitable, Fictitious Mining Inc. provided sediment on which housing developments were built. A high density of individuals now lives there and drinks water sourced from a local reservoir. This human population and nearby sensitive ecosystems are suffering as a result of exposure to contaminated soil and water. This project will reveal the specific details and hazardous substances in this situation that would justify its addition to the NPL (National Priorities List). The NPL is the index of facilities that qualify for Congressional funding under the authority of Superfund, also known as CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act). This project will also highlight how CERCLA fits into the history of environmental protection in the United States and how it relates to the changes in environmental regulation that have taken place under the current presidential administration.