Wales Tourism and Visit Planning

Holiday In Wales America's federal Superfund toxic waste cleanup program is in dire straits, despite a rosy assessment released today by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The report fails to acknowledge that the polluter-funded trust ran out of polluter contributed funds last month, according to a recent General Accounting Office report, slowing the cleanup rate, leaving taxpayers to shoulder the financial burden, and leaving communities across the country at risk.

EPA is making significant progress in cleaning up the nation's hazardous waste by adding 12 final sites to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL). In its Land Revitalization Agenda announced earlier this year, EPA made a commitment for revitalization and reuse to be a part of planning at every Superfund site.

Holiday Wales "The Bush Administration is touting what they call 'accomplishments,' but they should not be proud of putting the brakes on the 'polluter pays' principle and slowing the rate of toxic cleanups to a crawl," said Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director. "The Bush Administration's approach to Superfund will merely add it to a long list of chronically underfunded federal programs, leaving communities across the country at risk." President Bus

The PCBs buried in river sediment are considered by EPA to be a probable carcinogen and a risk to people who eat fish from the Hudson. Congress enacted the Superfund law after the Love Canal toxic waste scandal in the 1970s as a way to require polluters to pay for cleanups even if a site was sold or is no longer operating. In its lawsuit, - the Hudson River and former factories in Hoboken, N.J. and Milford, N.H. - where it is involved in Superfund cleanups.

Cottage Holiday In Wales h has refused to push for the renewal of polluter-pays tax that expired in 1995, the first president not to support the principle that polluters should pay to clean up their messes since President Reagan signed the Superfund reauthorization into law in 1986. With more than 1,200 toxic waste sites still in need of cleanup, the ramifications of a dwindling polluter trust fund to cleanup toxic waste places our communities and environment at risk. Already, one in four Americans, including 10 million children, lives within a short bicycle ride of a toxic waste site that is considered a Superfund cleanup priority.

An agreement signed by federal, state and tribal officials establishes the Coeur d'Alene Basin Commission, which will direct cleanup efforts called for in the EPA's decision, due later this month. The decision affects areas of the 1, mile basin outside an existing Superfund site. member commission is composed of three Idaho elected officials, EPA Regional Director John Iani and a representative of the Coeur d'Alene tribe in Idaho. Washington state will have a nonvoting member, appointed by the governor.

Caravan Holiday In Wales "We teach our children that they are responsible for cleaning up the messes that they make. The Bush administration should demand no less of corporate polluters," said Pope. "They are letting wealthy corporations off the hook while strapping taxpayers with the burden of cleanups."

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has confirmed that if these chemicals were accidentally released into the air they would pose the greatest risk to human health and the environment.

Camping Holiday Wales Next year, American taxpayers will pay about $1.1 billion for the Superfund program, an increase of about 400 percent since the fee expired in 1995. According to a Congressionally-mandated study concerning the future of the Superfund program, the cost of implementing the program between FY 2000 through FY 2009 ranges from $14 billion to $16.4 billion. Underfunding cleanup of America's toxic waste sites is yet another example of the administration putting corporations over public interest. If the Bush administration fails to act, Congress should move to reauthorize polluter fees for Superfund.

Small Business Health Insurance Plans Comprehensive small business health insurance plans pay for doctor visits, hospital visits, and prescription drugs. Also known as indemnity plans, these plans let you use your own doctors, specialists, and hospitals. You pay an insurance premium for your plan, plus a deductible (usually $500 to $2, 000) before your insurer begins to pay your claims. Most plans cover 80% of medical costs, and you or your employee pay the remaining 20%.

Accommodation Holiday Wales "Is it fair to make Americans pay twice for toxic cleanups -- once with their health and again with their taxes?" Pope asked.

Holiday Last Minute Wales From the EPA's "Accomplishments" list for Superfund, FY 2003, Completed work at 40 sites across the country for a total of 886 or 58 percent of the National Priority List.

Catering Holiday Self Wales REALITY: The Superfund program cleaned up an average of 86 sites per year in the middle and later 1990s, but his number has since fallen nearly 50 percent in the last three years. And 42 percent of sites listed on the National Priority List still need cleanup.

Holiday Wales Walking Listed 20 new sites on the National Priority List, and proposed 14 sites for listing.

Family Holiday Wales REALITY: There are thousands of Superfund candidate sites across the country, and cash-strapped states are clamoring for help from the federal government to help clean up orphan sites. Their pleas have fallen on deaf ears within the Bush Administration as they make the argument: Why list more sites if there is not enough federal money to clean up the sites already listed? It is the responsibility of the administration to protect public health and the environment and to cleanup toxic waste sites.

Holiday Riding Wales Superfund supported the "polluter pays" principle.

Adventure Holiday Wales REALITY: The Bush Administration touts the 70 percent of Superfund cleanups paid for directly by responsible polluters. While this is true and always has been, 30 percent of sites do not have a responsible party from whom to recoup cleanup costs. Cleanups at these "orphan sites" had historically been funded by the Superfund trust fund, filled with money from the polluter pays fees. As the trust fund has disappeared, the cost of "orphan site" cleanups has shifted to taxpayers, who paid only 18 percent of their costs in 1995 and will pay to up to 100 percent in FY2004.

Holiday Park South Wales Contact: Annie Strickler, (202) 675-2384
Sierra Club - 11/4/2003

Topic: SuperFund

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