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Federal Superfund
The Zortman-Landusky mine.
The federal program designed to ensure the cleanup of the nation’s most polluted areas is in disarray. Lack of funding has crippled the Superfund program, slowing the pace of cleanup nationally, and even jeopardizing the cleanup of sites in Montana.
When enacted by Congress in 1980, the Superfund was financed by a tax on the country’s most polluting industries, with some additional money from taxpayers. This "Polluters Pay" principle enabled the fund to accumulate $3.6 billion by 1995. Unfortunately, that year Congress allowed the tax to expire. At that time, the Superfund was financing the cleanup of roughly 60-70 polluted sites per year, which rose to more than 80 per year by the late 1990s.
With the tax gone, the Superfund was projected to end fiscal year 2003 with only $28 million remaining. This has naturally brought with it a steep decline in the pace of cleanup. In recent years, EPA has cleaned up approximately 40 sites per year — a 50% decline.
Even worse, this limited number of sites wouldn’t be receiving the necessary funding if it weren’t for a dramatic increase in the general tax dollars going to the Superfund. At the height of its financial solvency in 1995, the Superfund received 82% of its funds from the industry tax, with taxpayers paying the remainder. In 2004 those numbers will be essentially reversed: taxpayers will provide 79% of Superfund’s projected $1.39 billion budget.
Though the budget may seem large, the demands on it are larger still. Over the last three years, the Superfund’s budget has been, on average, about $400 million short of what is needed. This shortfall is what’s hurting Montana.
Montana has 14 sites on the Superfund list. Four have been cleaned up. Of the ten remaining, two won’t be fully funded this year. Those two are Libby and the Upper Ten Mile Creek drainage near Helena.
The contamination of Libby by W. R. Grace Co. with asbestos causing the death of hundreds of its residents, is well known. It is shameful that money can’t be found to complete the cleanup of that town. Less well known is the Upper Ten Mile Creek drainage. This drainage provides Helena with an important part of its drinking water supply. The area has been contaminated, as has so much of Montana, by mining.
Libby’s funding will fall $4.4 million short this year, while the Upper Ten Mile area will be $1.3 million short. While some in Montana’s congressional delegation have called for additional funding for these two sites, the fact of the matter is the money just isn’t available.
It’s time for the Superfund to return to the principle of Polluters Pay. Congress needs to reauthorize the Superfund tax and make polluters own up to the problems they have created.
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