GAO report on Superfund details declining appropriations

[Bob Hersh <bhersh@cpeo.org>]

-----------------------------------------------------------
Give Your Team Access to Their PCs from Anywhere. Increase 
productivity with a secure remote-access solution from 
GoToMyPC Pro. Stay in touch with your office. FREE TRIAL:
http://click.topica.com/caaciqXaVxieRa8xCZRa/ExpertCity
-----------------------------------------------------------

In 2001, Resources for the Future (RFF) published a high profile report
called "Superfund's Future: What Will it Cost".  The report,
commissioned by the U.S. Congress, analyzed the costs to EPA of cleaning
up sites on the National Priorities List at the end of fiscal year 1999
and estimated how much EPA would need to spend to clean up sites added
to the NPL from FY2000 through FY2009.   Although many in Congress
thought that the Superfund program would require less funding in
subsequent years, the report argued that a ramp-down of the program was
not imminent, and that EPA's need for Superfund monies would remain at
$1.5 billion (in constant 1999 dollars)  annually until FY2006.  The
executive summary of the RFF report is available at:
http://www.rff.org/rff/Documents/RFF-Bk-superfund-cost-exec-sum.pdf

In this context, a recent report by GAO, "Superfund Program: Breakdown
of Appropriations Data" (May 14, 2004)  makes interesting reading.
According to the report's summary:

"Since fiscal year 2000, the Superfund program has increasingly relied
on revenue from general revenue fund appropriations. In fiscal year
2004, the appropriations form the general fund was the only source of
funds for the program. The net Superfund program
appropriations--excluding the amounts for ATSDR, NIEHS, and the
Brownfields program--decreased from $1,757 million to $1,242 million, in
constant 2003 dollars, from fiscal year 1993 to fiscal year 2004."   

The report can be downloaded at:
http://www.gao.gov/docdblite/details.php?rptno=GAO-04-787R


Bob Hersh
Brownfields Program Director
Center for Public Environmental Oversight (CPEO)
1101 Connecticut Ave., NW  Suite 1000
Washington, DC  20036

Tel:     202.452.8043
Fax:    202.452.8095
email:  bhersh@cpeo.org
url:      www.cpeo.org
 

-----------------------------------------------------------
Let University of Phoenix make 2004 your year. Evening, 
weekend or FlexNet® classes ? over 130 locations. Look 
into our programs and get the degree that gets you going!
http://click.topica.com/caaciq1aVxieRa8xCZRf/UOP
-----------------------------------------------------------




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CPEO: A DECADE OF SUCCESS.  Your generous support will ensure that our 
important work on military and environmental issues will continue.  
Please consider one of our donation options.  Thank you.
http://www.groundspring.org/donate/index.cfm?ID=2086-0|721-0