Hazardous Waste

In response to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) compliance monitoring of responsible party settlements for cleanup at priority hazardous waste sites and prepared a fact sheet summarizing its findings.

EPA has the authority to compel parties responsible for hazardous site conditions to either perform cleanups themselves or reimburse the government for cleaning up the site. GAO: (1) obtained information on the number, type, and status of responsible party cleanup activities at sites which were designated as the nation's worst; (2) obtained from EPA the estimated value of settlements reached and the estimated amount spent at those sites; and (3) verified responsible-party activities performed in EPA Regions I, II, and V that were included in the review. GAO also summarized the nature, extent, and value of responsible-party activities performed at priority sites and provided information on the 73 settlements where the responsible party agreed to begin work, showing the purpose, status, and estimated value of the planned action and the estimated amount spent to date.