Superfund
EPA Needs to Better Focus Cleanup Technology Development Gao ID: T-RCED-93-34 April 28, 1993Faced with cleaning up thousands of hazardous waste sites across the country, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has joined forces with industry and other government agencies to develop innovative ways to treat hazardous waste more cost-effectively. GAO testified in September 1992 (GAO/T-RCED-92-92) that the number of innovative technologies demonstrated and selected had increased in recent years but that obstacles were inhibiting their development and use. This testimony updates that discussion and focuses on (1) the extent to which innovative technologies have been demonstrated and either selected for demonstrations or actually used for Superfund site cleanups and (2) some of the existing barriers to development and use of innovative technologies and EPA's efforts to reduce these barriers. GAO also discusses its earlier recommendations for fostering development of innovative technologies for Superfund and EPA's response.