U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy last week asking about the agency’s plans to clean up contamination at the Dewey-Humboldt Iron King Mine and Humboldt Smelter Superfund Site in Arizona.

In a 2010 report, the EPA detailed the risks of the contamination to human health and the environment and the need to address the contamination left behind since the mine’s opening more than 100 years ago. McCain's letter asks the EPA to indicate when it will complete its evaluation of cleanup alternatives and release a cleanup plan for the site. The letter urges the EPA to open a public comment period in connection with any proposal.

“I have met personally with members of the Dewey-Humboldt Town Council concerning this matter, who are - as am I - eager for information on when and how the Environmental Protection Agency intends to address contamination at this site,” McCain said in his letter.