Superfund: Backlog of Unevaluated Federal Facilities Slows Cleanup Efforts
RCED-93-119
Published: Jul 20, 1993. Publicly Released: Aug 24, 1993.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) and other federal agencies' progress in assessing and evaluating federal facilities with potential hazardous waste contamination.
Recommendations
Matter for Congressional Consideration
| Matter | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| As part of the upcoming Superfund reauthorization process, Congress may wish to require EPA and federal agencies to report on the status of their docketed facilities in their annual Superfund report to Congress. |
Closed – Not Implemented
|
The report is too recent to measure congressional reaction. This recommendation was not implemented by the Superfund reauthorization bill. |
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Protection Agency | To expedite action on federal facilities and establish accountability for progress on cleanup, the Administrator, EPA, should, in consultation with other federal agencies, develop a Superfund plan to address the backlog of unevaluated federal facilities remaining on the docket. This plan should specify: (1) the steps EPA will take to streamline the assessment and evaluation process; (2) a schedule for completing federal facility assessments and adding to NPL those facilities that pose the greatest harm; and (3) the level of priority and resources EPA plans to devote to this effort. This plan should be completed in time to be considered by Congress during the upcoming Superfund reauthorization. |
Closed – Not Implemented
EPA does not plan to implement this recommendation.
|
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Topics
Environmental monitoringEnvironmental policiesFederal facilitiesHazardous substancesInteragency relationsPollution controlProgram managementReporting requirementsWaste disposalWaste management