EPA Steps Up Health Protocol for Cleanup at Toxic Waste Sites

Emergency medical technicians and thermometers should be on hand when conducting toxic waste cleanups to reduce exposure to the coronavirus, the EPA said in an internal memo released Wednesday.

The Environmental Protection Agency is seeking to limit the spread of Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, at Superfund sites, the most contaminated properties in the country. In the new memo, the agency is recommending having an EMT on site and monitoring staff for coronavirus symptoms, like a fever or cough, while conducting cleanup.

Each site’s safety officer should take body temperatures of all staff on a daily basis, ...