Superfund reauthorization revisited: Analytical issues before the new Congress
The Superfund program to clean-up past hazardous waste releases of national significance failed to be reauthorized in the last Congress, leaving a number of issues to be resolved in the uncertain climate of the new Congress and in the run-up to the next Presidential election. As the bellwether of clean-up, decisions about Superfund will set the pattern to be followed in actions on federal facilities, on currently operating (RCRA) facilities, and on sites not now under the federal umbrella. Total expenditures on these programs will be on the order of $750 billion over the next 30 years. The tax which supports federal action does not expire until the end of 1995 and accumulated funds will finance activity through much of 1996, but some action can not long be delayed. This paper analyzes some of the issues left unresolved. These include the criteria for clean-up(the {open_quotes}how clean is clean{close_quotes} issue); the role of risk in determining action, especially with respect to future land use scenarios; the flexibility to be accorded new technologies; the appropriate distribution of the costs; the criteria to be used in assessing benefits; an the role to be given to stakeholders.
- OSTI ID:
- 549195
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950264-; TRN: 95:006094-0103
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting and science innovation exposition, Atlanta, GA (United States), 16-21 Feb 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of 1995 AAAS annual meeting and science innovation exposition: Unity in diversity; Strauss, M.S. [ed.]; Heasley, C.; PB: 337 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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