|
|
In 1978, America came face-to-face with the consequences of decades of environmental neglect, when the neighborhood of Love Canal discovered the toxic chemicals underneath its neat suburban homes. In 1980, in response, Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as Superfund, to address these sites. The law, which gave the federal government broad authority to respond directly to releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances that may endanger public health or the environment, established two kinds of responses:
Of the Regions 246 Superfund sites, 97 sites (39.4%) have been cleaned up and deleted from the NPL or have all construction completed and are undergoing long-term remediation. Long-term remedies usually mean that continued pumping of contaminated ground water is required. In FY00, Region 2 completed construction at 13 sites: 3 in New Jersey, 6 in New York, and 4 in Puerto Rico. Cleanup activities, either design or construction, were under way at approximately 44% of the 246 sites. Approximately 16% of the Regions NPL sites are under study or are awaiting study. The sites awaiting study have generally just been listed on the NPL or are currently proposed for inclusion.
|
|