Last week, EPA Administrator Pruitt issued a
memorandum requiring that all Superfund remedies estimated to
cost at least $50 million be approved by the Administrator.
I'm not optimistic that this will cure, or even ameliorate,
what ails CERCLA.
First, the memorandum gets off on precisely the wrong
foot. Administrator Pruitt states that:
The Superfund program is a vital function of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, and under my administration,
Superfund and the EPA's land and water cleanup efforts will be
restored to their rightful place at the center of the agency's
core mission.
What's the problem with this statement? When EPA has
actually looked at the top risks addressed by its programs, risks
from Superfund sites never even make the list. Except for a
limited set of circumstances, Superfund has been a colossal waste
of money, resources, and focus for EPA. If Administrator
Pruitt wants to reform Superfund, he shouldn't be "placing
it at
