#SubEnvironment to Review Pace of Superfund Cleanups and Potential Improvements

Statement

The Environment Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL), today scheduled a hearing for Thursday, January 18, 2018, at 10:15 a.m. in room 2322 of the Rayburn House Office Building. The hearing is entitled, "Modernizing the Superfund Cleanup Program."

In 1980, Congress enacted the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) -- informally called Superfund -- to address sites across the country contaminated by hazardous substances. The Superfund cleanup program allows the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to cleanup contaminated sites and CERCLA requires responsible parties to perform cleanups or reimburse the government for cleanup work done by EPA.

There are currently over 1,300 sites on the National Priorities List, some of which have been on the list for more than twenty years. In 2017, current EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt established a Superfund Task Force with the objective of providing recommendations as to how EPA can improve the cleanup process to incentivize and expedite remediation, encourage private investment in cleanups, and promote the reuse of remediated properties. Next week, #SubEnvironment will evaluate these recommendations and analyze what other improvements need to be made to the law to ensure cleanups are more effective and efficient.

"The pace of Superfund cleanups has long been an issue and a focus of Congressional oversight," said #SubEnvironment Chairman John Shimkus. "There are 45 sites on the National Priorities List in my home state of Illinois alone and some of those sites have been on the list since 1983. It's time to examine potential improvements to the program to ensure the efficient and effective pace of cleanups -- these communities deserve nothing less."

Source