Federal Facilities: Agencies Slow to Define the Scope and Cost of Hazardous Waste Site Cleanups
RCED-94-73
Published: Apr 15, 1994. Publicly Released: May 18, 1994.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO determined the status of federal efforts to identify federal facilities requiring hazardous waste cleanup under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
Recommendations
Matter for Congressional Consideration
Matter | Status | Comments |
---|---|---|
Congress should amend CERCLA to require agencies to submit plans for completing their hazardous waste site inventories to EPA for review and approval. These plans should contain schedules of work and deadlines for completing the site inventories. | The congressional debate on CERCLA reauthorization indicates that Congress will not adopt this recommendation. | |
Congress should amend CERCLA to require agencies to report annually to EPA on progress in implementing plans for completing the site inventories. | The congressional debate on CERCLA reauthorization indicates that Congress will not adopt this recommendation. | |
Congress should amend CERCLA to require agencies to develop, update as needed, and report to EPA, in accordance with guidance to be promulgated by EPA, estimates (or ranges of estimates for alternative cleanup standards) of the total costs to clean up their potential hazardous waste sites. | The congressional debate on CERCLA reauthorization indicates that Congress will not adopt this recommendation. | |
Congress should amend CERCLA to require EPA to report annually to Congress on agencies' progress toward completing their site inventories and on their latest estimates of total cleanup costs. | The congressional debate on CERCLA reauthorization indicates that Congress will not adopt this recommendation. |
Full Report
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Topics
Cost analysisEnvironmental monitoringEnvironmental policiesFederal facilitiesGovernment liability (legal)Hazardous substancesPollution controlReporting requirementsWaste managementHazardous waste sites