Measures set to hasten Superfund cleanups

Abstract

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator William K. Reilly last week announced several measures designed, he says, to cut costs and expedite the cleanup of thousands of hazardous-waste sites that dot the nation's landscape, threatening communities and underground water supplies. The massive and controversial Superfund program, begun in 1980, has spent about $4.8 billion to permanently clean up 63 sites out of 1245 designated candidates. A large percentage of this expenditure has been spent on management, or overhead, costs, which an EPA task force finds unacceptable. To correct these problems, Reilly has named EPA staffer Richard Guimond to the new position of national Superfund director, responsible for procurements and budgets as well as for measures to improve contracting and to speed up cleanups. Reilly also plans to put in place a staff of 20 to 30 people scattered around the country to act as program troubleshooters. These steps, Reilly hopes, will encourage and promote more uniformity ...