GLYNN COUNTY, Ga. — Scientists from multiple Atlanta universities and the University of Georgia received a grant for a Superfund Research Center to study harmful contaminants in an area with a long history of industrial pollution.
Emory University, UGA, Georgia Tech, Morehouse School of Medicine, Spelman College and Texas Tech have been awarded the grant by the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences.
The center will be the first of its kind in Georgia. It will focus on potential remediation to the sensitive coastal ecosystem and potential links between chemical exposure and human health.
The initiative will also look into how extreme weather affects hazardous chemicals.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Glynn County is home to 17 identified hazardous waste sites and four Superfund sites that are on or proposed for the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Priorities List of most polluted sites.
Superfund Research Centers are highly polluted areas needing cleanup of hazardous waste. The grant will be fund research studies over five years in the hopes of solving complex environmental health problems.
There are fewer than 24 Superfund Research Centers in the United States.
“By combining cutting-edge exposure science and health research with direct community partnerships, the center will translate complex environmental data into practical information that can support healthier decisions for families, clinicians and policymakers,” said Dana Barr, Ph.D., director of the Superfund Research Center and professor of environmental health at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Marietta City Council faces opposition over data center plans
- Metro Atlanta mom accused of stealing nearly $280,000 from job, using some to pay for day care
- High school grad earns $17 million in scholarships; accepted to 264 colleges
The center will also include community-focused and community-driven initiatives, such as community engagement programs and educational outreach for local youth.
Scientists say what they learn from the Superfund Research center will provide meaningful data about industrial pollution extending far beyond Georgia.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2026 Cox Media Group
