Who pays for the Superfund Act?

Who pays for the Superfund Act?

The Superfund law requires States to contribute at least 10 percent of EPA’s costs of cleaning up NPL sites within their borders. Federal agencies pay for cleanups of Federal hazardous wastes, such as military bases or weapons plants, out of their own budgets.

What does the Superfund pay for?

It allows EPA to clean up contaminated sites. It also forces the parties responsible for the contamination to either perform cleanups or reimburse the government for EPA-led cleanup work. When there is no viable responsible party, Superfund gives EPA the funds and authority to clean up contaminated sites.

What is the government’s Superfund program?

EPA’s Superfund program is responsible for cleaning up some of the nation’s most contaminated land and responding to environmental emergencies, oil spills and natural disasters.

Why is the Superfund Act important?

The Superfund program makes a visible and lasting difference in communities cleaning up the nation’s worst hazardous waste sites, tackling threats to public health and our natural environment, supporting local economies and enhancing quality of life, preventing future releases of hazardous substances, and leading to …

Is Superfund still funded?

Since 2001, most of the cleanup of hazardous waste sites has been funded through taxpayers generally. Despite its name, the program has suffered from under-funding, and Superfund NPL cleanups have decreased to a mere 8 in 2014, out of over 1,200.

Who pays to clean up Superfund sites today?

EPA
The law says EPA can make the people responsible for contamination pay for site studies and cleanup work. EPA negotiates with these Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) to reach an agreement. Sometimes EPA pays for the cleanup out of a pool of money called the Superfund and then tries to make PRPs pay back the costs.

What does the Superfund not cover?

Superfund is also the trust fund set up by Congress to handle emergency and hazardous waste sites needing long-term cleanup. That means that the government can’t spend Superfund money on anything except cleaning up hazardous-waste sites.) Superfund is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Why are Superfund sites bad?

In addition to increased levels of childhood cancer and birth defects, exposure to hazardous substances released from Superfund sites has been correlated with higher rates of suspension from school and repeating grade levels, lower standardized test scores, and decreased cognitive functioning.

Does the Superfund still exist?

There are 40,000 federal Superfund sites across the country, and approximately 1,600 of those sites have been listed on the National Priorities List (NPL). Sites on the NPL are considered the most highly contaminated and undergo longer-term remedial investigation and remedial action (cleanups).

What law deals with Superfund sites?

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act — otherwise known as CERCLA or Superfund — provides a Federal “Superfund” to clean up uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous-waste sites as well as accidents, spills, and other emergency releases of pollutants and contaminants into the environment …

Who is responsible for Superfund cleanup?

There are currently 94 NPL sites in California. The DTSC works jointly with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) to oversee cleanup at NPL sites….Current Programs for Site Cleanup.

How was the Superfund Act funded?

To fund program activities, CERCLA established a trust fund that was financed primarily by taxes on crude oil and certain chemicals, as well as an environmental tax assessed on corporations based upon their taxable income.