30 Years Estimated for Superfund Cleanup
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WASHINGTON — Given current delays and inefficiency, the federal Superfund program could take 30 years to clean up the nation’s worst toxic-waste dumps, the senator overseeing the program said Thursday.
Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-N.J.) said that the program, despite a healthy increase in budget, is moving at a snail’s pace. “We’ve seen a fourfold rise in funding, but not a fourfold rise in . . . output,” said Lautenberg, who chairs the Senate Superfund subcommittee.
Superfund, administered by the Environmental Protection Agency, is a $9-billion fund set aside by Congress for removing toxic waste. So far, EPA has identified some 800 priority sites for use of the money.
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