"Six U.S. senators are calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to immediately examine the health threats posed by forgotten factory sites featured in a recent USA TODAY investigation."

"In a letter sent Wednesday to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, the senators urged the EPA to "take immediate action" to review unassessed sites and to set priorities for remediation, such as sites near schools or playgrounds. "It is necessary to ensure that people living near these sites, especially children, are safe," the letter said.

The letter was organized by Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and was also signed by Sens. Robert Casey, D-Pa.; Jack Reed, D-R.I.; Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.; Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.; and Al Franken, D-Minn."

Alison Young reports for USA TODAY May 9, 2012. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Ghost Factories: Poison in the Ground" (Series Portal) [3]