The recent stimulus package passed by Congress and signed by the President included money to aid existing Superfund cleanups, especially orphan sites, to the tune of $600M. This NY Times article discusses the situation by highlighting an orphan site in NJ.
The next step is for Congress and the President to reinstate the defunct Superfund tax. Money from the tax would advance EPA's other missions of finding polluters, holding polluters accountable for their actions, and cleaning up sites. It will help relieve the financial burden from the taxpayers.
Opponents of the tax claim that it penalizes companies for the sins of the few who got away. That's just too bad. It should not be the citizen taxpayer who pays for these sins. But, it's good to see stimulus money putting shovels in the ground for the good of everyone.
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