Superfund reauthorization: Another Congress and a new opportunity
- Booz Allen and Hamilton, Inc., McLean, VA (United States)
The enactment of the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) in 1980 gave the Federal government, for the first time, the authority to take direct action or force the responsible party to respond to emergencies involving uncontrolled release of hazardous substances. The Act set up a five year program and established a trust fund -- ``the Superfund`` -- of $1.6 billion. The primary authorities contained in CERCLA enabled the Federal government to perform cleanups at sites where there were no responsible parties and to respond to emergency situations involving hazardous materials. Since the last reauthorization of Superfund, specific areas of concern, including program administration, have come to light. All parties agree that legislative changes are needed to reform the current program. As it stands now, cleanup levels are inconsistent, cleanup costs are excessive, and State and local governments have little say in the decision making process that affects their economic and social well being. Reforming Superfund will potentially make the program more equitable, effective, and efficient. This paper will focus on four of the major components of the Superfund program: (1) community involvement, (2) State involvement, (3) liability of responsible parties, and (4) remedy selection. In addition to highlighting current provisions of the law, potential reforms introduced in both the 103rd and 104th Congresses relating to each of the four areas will also be discussed.
- OSTI ID:
- 205292
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-951139--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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