Skip to main content

Superfund: Analysis of Issues Concerning the Operating Industries Site

RCED-89-77 Published: Mar 30, 1989. Publicly Released: May 01, 1989.
Jump To:
Skip to Highlights

Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) inclusion of a hazardous waste site on its National Priorities List (NPL), focusing on: (1) its inclusion of the entire site on NPL; and (2) the cost-effectiveness of its treatment of the site.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Environmental Protection Agency To help ensure that feasibility studies at other Superfund sites are performed properly, the Administrator, EPA, should revise EPA guidance on feasibility studies to require that hidden costs, such as the imputed value of tax liabilities and liability insurance, be included in cost analyses.
Closed – Not Implemented
EPA had planned to revise its feasibility study guidance by January 1991 to address hidden costs pursuant to changes in its National Contingency Plan (NCP), but EPA has since determined that this guidance does not need to be revised as a result of changes in NCP. It has new plans at this time to revise its guidance to provide for addressing hidden costs.

Full Report

Office of Public Affairs

Topics

Cost effectiveness analysisEvaluation methodsFacility constructionHazardous substancesLiability (legal)Private sectorReal estate salesSite selectionWaste treatmentWater pollution