NO ONE WOULD BE AWARE THAT IS A SUPERFUND SITE UNLESS THEY WERE LED TO IT.

FOR DECADES, STARTING IN 1960'S, THIS WAS THE EAGLE PICHER FACTORY IN SOCORRO, WHERE THE COMPANY FIRST MADE CIRCUIT BOARDS AND THEN LEAD ACID BATTERIES.

THEY HAD OPEN PIT LAGOONS THEY DUMPED CHEMICALS AND TRASH IN.

SHERRY BOUGHT HER HOUSE IN 2007 THE SAME YEAR EAGLE PICHER WAS DECLARED A SUPERFUND SITE AND DECADES AFTER THE POLLUTION HAD BEEN FOUND BELOW THE CITY.

I FIRST FOUND OUT ABOUT IT IN 2015 WHEN THE EPA WANTED TO TEST MY HOME.

EAGLE PICHER LEFT IN THE 1990'S DECLARING BANKRUPTCY IN AND REORGANIZING INTO A DIFFERENT COMPANY AND LEFT BEHIND A TOXIC PLUME OF POLLUTED GROUNDWATER THAT IS MOVING SOUTH, BENEATH NEIGHBORHOODS AND NEW MEXICO TECH.

THE POLLUTIONS WAS FOUND 30 YEARS AGO.

THE NEW MEXICO ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT TESTED THE WATER AND FOUND IT WAS CONTAMINATED WITH TCE, A CHLORINATED SOLVENT THAT IS KNOWN TO CAUSE CANCER.

THEY HAVE ABOUT 35 MONITORING WELLS IN THE AREA.

AND THEY TESTED AGAIN IN EARLY FEBRUARY, NEAR NEW MEXICO TECH, TO TRACK HOW THE POLLUTION IS MOVING.

THE GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION STRETCHES OVER ALMOST 9,000 FEET AND ALMOST 2,000 FEET WIDE, SO IT IS A QUITE SUBSTANTIAL SIZE PLUME.

RIVERA IS THE ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT'S SUPERFUND SITE ASSESSMENT TEAM LEADER.

HE HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS EAGLE PICHER SITE FOR ALMOST TWO DECADES.

SUPERFUND SITES ARE SOME OF THE MOST CONTAMINATED PLACES IN THE STATE AND EAGLE PICHER PLUME IS JUST ONE OF 16 IN NEW MEXICO.

THERE ARE ALSO URANIUM MILLS IN WESTERN NEW MEXICO, GROUNDWATER POLLUTION IN ALBUQUERQUE'S SOUTH VALLEY, AN ABANDONED REFINERY IN PRUITT.

IN THESE PLACES, THE COMPANIES HAVE MOVED ON AND NOW THE FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS HAVE TO PAY FOR THE CLEAN-UP.

EAGLE PICHER IS STILL IN BUSINESS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TWO BANKRUPTCY DECLARATIONS.

COURT DOCUMENTS SHOW THE COMPANY LEFT BEHIND TWO DOZEN CONTAMINATED WORK ZONES INCLUDING THE SUPERFUND SITE IN SOCORRO.

HEADQUARTERED IN MISSOURI, IT DESIGNS BATTERIES FOR SATELLITES.

IT IS ALSO A MILITARY CONTRACTOR.

THE REAL IRONY IN THIS, ONE TIME WE WERE OUT THERE COLLECTING GROUNDWATER SAMPLES, AND LO AND BEHOLD, THE SAMPLE BOTTLES WERE MADE BY EAGLE PICHER.

SO, THAT IS THE BEAUTY OF BANKRUPTCY, I GUESS.

YOU CAN JUST PICK UP AND START SHOP SOMEWHERE ELSE.

STATE AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS NOW HOW TO CLEAN UP THE PLUME BUT THEY NEED ABOUT 16 MILLION TO DO IT.

AND, IT WILL TAKE 30 YEARS TO CLEAN A MESS THE GOVERNMENT HAS KNOWN ABOUT FOR ALMOST FOUR DECADES.

THAT IS THREE GENERATIONS OF NEW MEXICANS WHO HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO THE POLLUTION.

SOMETIMES YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE YOUR HANDS TIED BEHIND YOUR BACK.

WE ARE DEALING WITH A LARGE AREA.

WE ARE HAVING TO PUMP MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF GROUNDWATER TO RUN THROUGH THIS TREATMENT SYSTEM, THE AAOP.

SO, THESE SYSTEMS TAKE A LONG, LONG TIME.

HARMFUL GASES RISE FROM THE PLUME, SEEPING UP THROUGH THE SOIL AND WATER TABLE, THAT RANGES FROM 20 TO 100 FEET BELOW.

WHILE THE STATE AGENCY REGULATES THE WATER, THE FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY HAS ANALYZED WHERE THE GASES MAY BE COMING INTO HOMES.

AND IN 2015, THEY TESTED 12 HOMES, INCLUDING SHERRY'S.

I WAS DISGUSTED.

I WAS SHOCKED.

I MEAN, I HAVE NEVER KNOWN ANYONE THAT LIVED WITHIN A SUPERFUND SITE, I HAVE NEVER.

I STILL DON'T.

AS AGENCIES FINISH UP A PLAN FOR THE CLEAN-UP, THEY ALSO HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE SUPERFUND PRIORITY PANEL, WHICH EACH YEAR DECIDES WHICH SITES FROM MORE THAN 1000 NATIONWIDE WILL GET FUNDING.

I AM LIKE, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO ME?

I STARTED DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH BECAUSE I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT IT MEANT TO ME.

YOU FEEL SAFE IN YOUR HOME?

NO.

NOW, SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THE HOME SHE HAS MADE FOR HERSELF.

I WOULD FEEL GUILTY SELLING THE HOME.

I WOULD FEEL GUILTY PASSING IT ON TO SOMEONE ELSE EVEN IF I DISCLOSE IT.

IT DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT TO GIVE THE PROBLEM TO SOMEONE ELSE.

STAYING PUT IS A SCARY OPTION.

MOVING MEANS LEAVING BEHIND MEMORIES.

IT IS ALSO EXPENSIVE.

TOO EXPENSE FOR SOME AND DECIDING IT IS SOMEONE'S ELSE'S PROBLEM IS HOW THE EAGLE PICHER PLUME BECAME A SUPERFUND SITE.

FOR NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS AND OUR LAND, I AM LAURA PASKUS.