$600M in Recovery Act funding to clean up hazardous waste sites, create jobs

The Environmental Protection Agency recently issued the following press release:

Recovery act funds to accelerate cleanup, boost economy, create jobs and protect human health at 50 federal Superfund sites

Contact: Enesta Jones, 202-564-7873 /4355/ jones.enesta@epa.gov

(Washington, DC – April 15, 2009) EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson today announced $600 million in new funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for the cleanup of hazardous waste (Superfund) sites across the nation. In most cases, this recovery act funding will accelerate the hazardous waste cleanup already underway at the sites and fund new clean-up projects. It will also jumpstart the local economy by creating jobs in the site areas.

“EPA has an answer to these challenging economic times,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Under the Recovery Act, we're getting harmful pollutants and dangerous chemicals out of these communities and putting jobs and investment back in.”

The federal Superfund program was created in 1980 to clean up uncontrolled hazardous waste sites that pose unacceptable risks to human health and the environment. Superfund sites are often found in industrial areas hardest hit by the recession. Superfund cleanups are major construction projects that employ thousands of workers nationwide. Since it began, the program has completed construction of remedies at more than 1,060 of the 1,596 sites on its National Priorities List. The Superfund program is implementing new or expanded cleanup actions at 50 sites around the country with recovery act funds.

By starting or accelerating cleanup at Superfund sites, recovery act funding is also increasing the speed with which these sites are returned to productive use. When a Superfund site is redeveloped, it can offer significant economic benefits to local communities including future job creation.

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on February 17, 2009 and has directed the recovery act be implemented with unprecedented transparency and accountability. To that end, the American people can see how every dollar is being invested at http://www.epa.gov/recovery.

More information on the Superfund program: http://www.epa.gov/superfund.