The General Accounting Office found that less than 45 percent, or $614
million, of the $1.4 billion spend on Superfund in 1996 went to
cleaning up hazardous waste. Another $82 million was spent on planning
and assessment of sites, but the remaining $703 million was spent on
EPA overhead ($294 million), lawyers ($210 million), travel expenses
and salaries of employees overseeing cleanups ($154 million) and
developing new techniques for cleaning up hazardous waste (just $56
million). The GAO also noted that the amount of time it takes to clean
up the average Superfund site has more than quadrupled over the last
decade, from 2.3 years in 1986 to 10.5 years today. And in an audit of
several laboratories assessing hazardous chemicals for nine Superfund
sites, The EPA's Inspector General found that slipshod lab work had
resulted in $11 million misspent on rejected analyses and delayed
cleanups by up to two years.
11/3/97
The General Accounting Office found that less than 45 percent, or $614
million, of the $1.4 billion spend on Superfund in 1996 went to
cleaning up hazardous waste. Another $82 million was spent on planning
and assessment of sites, but the remaining $703 million was spent on
EPA overhead ($294 million), lawyers ($210 million), travel expenses
and salaries of employees overseeing cleanups ($154 million) and
developing new techniques for cleaning up hazardous waste (just $56
million). The GAO also noted that the amount of time it takes to clean
up the average Superfund site has more than quadrupled over the last
decade, from 2.3 years in 1986 to 10.5 years today. And in an audit of
several laboratories assessing hazardous chemicals for nine Superfund
sites, The EPA's Inspector General found that slipshod lab work had
resulted in $11 million misspent on rejected analyses and delayed
cleanups by up to two years.
