Georgia’s first Superfund research center to study toxic pollution and climate risks in Glynn County

A new research initiative aims to answer long-standing questions about industrial pollution and its health impacts in coastal Georgia.

As first reported by WABE, scientists from six universities are launching Georgia’s first Superfund Research Center with a $15 million, five-year grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The center will focus on four Superfund sites in Glynn County, including a former pesticide plant near Brunswick.

The collaboration includes researchers from Emory University, the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Morehouse School of Medicine, Spelman College and Texas Tech University.

Emory public health professor Noah Scovronick said the project has two primary objectives: understanding the long-term health effects of past chemical exposure and finding ways to reduce future exposure for nearby communities.

Researchers will analyze environmental samples from the area’s air, soil and water while studying how contaminants may have affected residents over time. They also plan to examine how climate change could worsen pollution risks.

Scovronick said stronger storms, rising sea levels and higher groundwater levels could spread contaminants from Superfund sites or compromise protective barriers designed to contain hazardous materials. He said the research will help determine whether ongoing cleanup efforts can withstand increasingly severe weather.

Community members have been involved in shaping the research from the beginning, ensuring the project addresses concerns raised by residents living near the contaminated sites.

Among them is Brunswick resident Semona Holmes, who lives less than a mile from a former pesticide plant. She said her family avoids drinking tap water and no longer eats fish or crab caught in local waterways because of contamination concerns.

Holmes, whose grandchildren attend a nearby elementary school, said families deserve answers about what chemicals they may have been exposed to and the potential health consequences. She also hopes the research encourages continued accountability and action from the companies responsible for the contamination, saying documenting the damage is only the first step toward protecting future generations.