Superfund

Non-Time-Critical Removals as a Tool for Faster and Less Costly Cleanups Gao ID: T-RCED-96-137 April 17, 1996

Since Superfund was created in 1980, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has spent more than $15 billion but has finished cleaning up only about 300 of the 1,300 most contaminated sites nationwide. EPA is expanding use of its removal program, which it typically has used to respond only to urgent situations, to conduct major nonemergency cleanups at portions of sites. These non-time-critical removals are quicker than EPA's traditional remedial efforts because they streamline the steps used to study a site's contamination and design a cleanup method. This testimony focuses on three issues: (1) the major benefits and potential disadvantages of using non-time-critical removals, (2) the extent to which such removals can be used in more Superfund cleanups, and (3) the factors that limit the use of such removals.



The Justia Government Accountability Office site republishes public reports retrieved from the U.S. GAO These reports should not be considered official, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Justia.