Superfund and Onodaga Lake

Lexis Nexis

onlakepartners.org

epa.gov


The Superfund program began in 1980 and called for individual taxpayers to pay eighteen percent of its total cost. Since then, the costs to individuals have risen to fifty-three percent. Although 886 sites have been cleaned since Superfund’s introduction, this year only 40 high-priority waste sites have been cleaned, leaving 1,203 dangerous areas on the “National Priorities List”. Fewer harmful regions are being cleaned, as a direct result of lack of funding. This financial crisis is putting the 1 out of 4 Americans living within four miles of a hazardous waste site in danger.

Most often the polluter of the area donates the money necessary for its cleanup, but there are many dirty areas that have yet to be claimed. From 1980 until 1995, taxes on oil and chemical industries and an additional income tax on other corporations raised funds for the clearing of these sites. Presently, Superfund is nearly bankrupt, due in partial to the fact that Congress did not renew these fees when they expired in 1995. People are divided as how to appease the situation. Senate Democrat Barbara Boxer, and a small number of other democrats in the senate, desires a revival of this tax, mainly affecting oil companies. Others deem this tax unfair, as the pollution is no longer solely the fault of the companies. Some believe that there should be particular industry taxes forcing the polluter to pay, while others believe that Superfund causes too much trouble and should eliminated. Because Superfund holds even those parties whose pollution contribution is extremely miniscule responsible, those apposed to Superfund, consider that people looking to invest may shy away from previously industrialized areas so that they are not eligible for culpability. Although Superfund will not be eliminated, new strategies for raising money for Superfund are being debated throughout the United States.