NEWS RELEASE
COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE DEMOCRATS
Congressman John D. Dingell, Ranking Member

Dramatic Funding Shortfalls Revealed
In Superfund Program

Washington, DC - Congressman John D. Dingell, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Waste today released a letter sent to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about information received by the Committee regarding large funding shortfalls in the Superfund program. New information obtained from EPA staff now reveals the shortfall will grow far worse for the third consecutive year. A series of Inspector General reports previously revealed funding shortfalls for the past two years.

Funding shortfalls for new cleanup projects are creating a large backlog of projects. For this fiscal year, according to EPA staff, 46 sites in 27 states will be inadequately funded or will receive no funding at all accounting for a $263.1 million shortfall. A few new projects may be partially funded, but shortfalls for other projects that are not currently on the list are expected to be added, causing the shortfall to increase even further. The shortfalls continue a trend. In 2002, they were estimated at $114.8 million and last year, they were estimated at $174.9 million. The projects designated to receive no funding are listed on the Superfund National Priority List, which identifies the nation's most toxic waste sites that pose the greatest risk to the environment and public health.

EPA has repeatedly requested less funding then needed and opposed reinstatement of the polluter tax, which was at one time used to help pay for cleanup. "It is not surprising that the Administration is operating in secret on yet another issue, but EPA efforts to downplay the problem by calling neglected sites 'stabilized' is contradicted by the facts on the ground," said Dingell. "The bottom line is the Bush Administration refuses to admit it is not getting the job done."

"It is irresponsible of the Bush Administration to continue putting our communities' public health and environment at risk. Without the funds necessary for cleanup, the nation's worst toxic dumps will remain a hazard to our communities," said Solis.

Although EPA contends that funding for new projects may be forthcoming, this has not been the case historically. Three of these priority new project requests have received zero funding over the past three fiscal years (Continental Steel in Indiana, and Hart Creosoting and Jasper Creosoting in Texas). An additional 10 projects have received zero funding for the last two fiscal years.

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