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ARTICLE · 21 FEBRUARY 2012

Obama Budget Would Cut Superfund by 6%: How About A New Approach?

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According to a report in yesterday’s Greenwire, President Obama’s proposed budget would reduce Superfund spending by 6%, from $565 million to $532 million.

United StatesEnvironment
Seth Jaffe
Seth Jaffe
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According to a report in yesterday's Greenwire, President Obama's proposed budget would reduce Superfund spending by 6%, from $565 million to $532 million. I still don't understand why Obama, particularly with Cass Sunstein still at OMB, hasn't turned this problem into an opportunity. I know I've flogged this one before, but a significant part of the explanation for the size of the Superfund budget is related to CERCLA's status as the last bastion of command and control regulation. Everyone who practices in this area could provide endless examples of the almost unbelievable extent of micromanaging indulged in by EPA and its consultants. Even where EPA is recovering oversight costs, such an approach taxes the system. 

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