Superfund

To date, natural resource damage settlements have been relatively low--accounting for a small percentage of what responsible parties have agreed to pay for Superfund cleanups. However, federal and state officials told GAO of three future settlements that could involve hundreds of millions of dollars. They also indicate that there may be other instance in which claims will exceed $50 million per geographic area. Further, the federal government faces the potential for large damages at some of its most contaminated facilities.